The Open Link
by Ralina
Summary: AU: At the beginning of Hermione's 5th year in Hogwarts, the ministry discovers, that there must be a student with an open magical link at the school - a phenomenon that hasn't happened for more than a hundred years. Nobody knows who it is, though, not even the person themselves, but everybody seems to be out to find the Open Link, even the Dark Lord himself.
1. Chapter 1

A.N.: Hello guys! I finally found a brilliant beta for my story. Her name is rosequartzstars. With her help this story will get even more enjoyable, than it hopefully already is. If you are starting with this story, you should be aware that it is an emotional rollercoaster ride. But there is a HEA at the end, I swear!

The open Link

Part 1: Finding the Link

Chapter 1: Of meddlesome mothers

In contradiction to everything that was said about her and her love of learning, Hermione Granger adored school holidays. It wasn't just that she was finally able to see her parents: it also gave her the opportunity to wind down from all the stress that had taken hold of her during the previous weeks and months. The last school year had been extreme, even for her. The added stress of helping Harry through the Triwizard Tournament had done its part to make her tired and weary and when they'd finally thought that it was all over with the third task, Harry had come back with a dead Cedric and the devastating news that You-Know-Who was back. No matter what the press said about Harry's and Dumbledore's mental states, Hermione believed every word and couldn't help but worry about what was to come.

"What's wrong, Pumpkin?" her dad said with obvious worry in his voice. "You've been staring at the same page of that book for almost ten minutes. That's not like you at all." He smiled affectionately towards her from his sunbed next to her.

"Leave her be, Dan," her mother muttered from behind him. "She's probably thinking about that nice Bulgarian guy who keeps writing to her, even though he's back in his country now. What was his name again, Honey?"

Hermione sighed tiredly. "His name's Viktor, Mum, but I told you, we're just friends. I'm not pining after him or anything…" And it was true. Viktor was a nice guy and he had kept her company and cheered her up during the last months. He was the first man that saw there was more to her than a bookish know-it-all with big teeth, and he had had no qualms inviting her as his date for the Yule Ball.

Her mum smiled knowingly. "Not even a little bit? He was your first kiss, if I remember correctly, and by the colour of your cheeks it must have been a fairly nice kiss."

Merlin, when had her mum gotten so nosy? Yes, there had been a kiss, or maybe two or three, in the gardens at the Yule Ball, and there had been a time of holding hands afterwards. But after a while, they had both agreed that they were better off as friends in the long term.

"It was nice," she finally admitted with a little smile and her mum grinned happily at her.

"I remember how it was when I was your age. My heart was broken at least once a month and I kept pining after Henry Jarnson even though the boy was never interested in me."

Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the amused smile on her lips. "Well, luckily that's not my case, maybe I take after dad in this respect." She smiled and put her book aside. "I don't have time for such nonsense."

Her mum shrugged unconcernedly. "You're probably just a late bloomer. Don't worry, you'll experience the pining and the heartbreak soon enough." Her mother winked at her before she got to her feet. "I'll go inside and grab us some snacks and lemonade. What about you two go swimming in the pool? You've been staring into your books long enough."

Her father looked at Hermione with an eye-roll, putting his book away as he did "Guess another bit of swimming can't hurt, right Pumpkin?"

"Alright," she said and got up from her sunbed. There was always more time for reading afterwards.

Yes, Hermione Granger loved the holidays, and this one was no exception.

Sssssssss

Fred and George had been busy throughout the holidays. It had always been their dream to open a joke shop on their own, and now, with Harry's generous gift, it was suddenly possible. The twins had been working night and day to do just that because they knew the day was coming soon. Their parents had been unusually busy and more than once Remus Lupin or some other grim-looking person visited the Burrow in the evenings and involved their parents in late-night-discussions about what was to come. Fred knew it wasn't going to be pretty but as it was impossible to get anything out of their parents, he and his brother had started tossing ideas around and finally had come to the idea for Extendable Ears. This was how they learned that they would have to switch quarters soon, because the whole Weasley family was moving to Grimmauld Place for the rest of the holidays and they would not be the only ones.

"This is actually a nice neighbourhood," George said next to him and whistled through his teeth, as they strolled along the sidewalks of Hampstead.

"Yeah," Fred replied with a nod and looked around. They had never been to the area before, but when their parents asked them to play owl for them, they had happily agreed. It gave them the opportunity to get out of the house and away from their mother's lectures about the importance of schoolwork for a bit. "I think we're close now. Look, there's already number 18." Fred pointed towards a large brick house with a huge, well-kept garden and a white picket fence. It almost looked idyllic, but also very boring in his opinion. Still, it fit the picture of Ron's bookish friend.

"Let's see if she's at home, shall we?" George said, and confidently strode along the tiled footpath through the garden towards the brown, wooden front door of the house. He pressed the little button that was the doorbell without hesitation, and immediately a nice melody chimed inside the house. Wasn't it supposed to make a ringing noise or something? Obviously not, because only a few moments later the door was opened by a pretty brunette woman, who was clearly Hermione Granger's mother. She had the same bushy hair and eyes as their school friend, and apart from the fact that she looked older and curvier, both women looked almost the same.

"Hello, boys, what can I do for you?" the woman asked politely, looking at them with a friendly smile. In return, Fred plastered a wide smile on his face.

"Hello, Mrs Granger, we're Fred and George Weasley," he said without hesitation, and saw his brother nodding. "We're friends of Hermione's, and we wondered if she's at home."

It was obviously the right thing to say, because Mrs. Granger stepped aside with a wide smile on her face. "Of course, boys, do come in! Hermione rarely has friends visit. I'm sure she'll be pleased to see you."

Fred followed her into the house and couldn't help but note the differences to his own home. Apart from the fact that it was undeniably a Muggle household and his father would have had a field day with all the strange devices that they encountered, everything was absolutely neat, and there seemed to be a colour pattern for all the rooms they passed. In the Burrow, all rooms seemed randomly decorated in comparison and contained lots of stuff, much of which was probably older than he was. For some reason, he liked it better that way, even if it might have seemed totally chaotic to people like the Grangers. Luckily, that wasn't anything he had to be concerned with.

"Hermione's in the backyard," Mrs Granger said, stepping into a living room with several large windows looking out to a garden with a pool in the middle. At first, Fred couldn't spot Hermione, but eventually he made out two figures moving in the middle of the pool. Fred could see that one of them was Hermione, the sight taking him totally by surprise. "Go ahead, boys, she's in the pool. I'll be with you shortly."

Hermione's mum waved them off with a smile, and, after a moment of hesitation, both twins shrugged and strolled through the garden. At first they went totally unnoticed, but when they reached the border of the pool, Hermione finally looked up and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Fred? George? What are you doing here?"

Fred looked at her with a broad smile, but before he could open his mouth George answered, "Mum sends us with a message— didn't want to send an owl, you know?" The little witch nodded and Fred knew that she understood what his brother wasn't saying. An owl could be intercepted on its way and so their parents hadn't wanted to risk it.

"Alright," the girl said with a smile, swimming to the edge of the pool, where she gracefully pulled herself up. For a moment Fred had problems keeping his eyes wandering to places they definitely shouldn't be. Hermione Granger was definitely a woman now, not the little girl they had once met by the Hogwarts Express. It had already been evident at the Yule Ball last year, but it was even more obvious through the blue-and-white-striped swimsuit she was wearing now. "Just give me a moment to dry myself off," she mumbled, and for a moment he could have sworn he saw a faint blush on her cheeks, but it was probably just his imagination. "Then we can go inside."

"Nonsense," her mother suddenly interrupted her from behind. "Those friends of yours look like they'd love to have a little swim in the pool, too. And why not? It's a beautiful day, and I've already fetched some of your dad's swimming trunks."

"Mum!" the girl protested and looked at her mother with wide eyes. "You can't just…" But the woman simply cut her daughter off and looked at the twins with a smile.

"Well, boys? What do you say? Are you up for a little swim?"

It wasn't a hard decision. The weather was indeed beautiful, and it was either this or going back to their mum, who was in all certainty waiting with another lecture. "Sounds brilliant!" they replied with wide grins on their faces, and a wave of their wands later, they had transfigured their summer clothes into comfortable swimming trunks. Being of age definitely had its merits.

Before Hermione knew what was happening, there were two redheads splashing in the pool. Both of them immediately started swimming around before the whole thing morphed into something of a chase, which she watched with her mouth hanging slightly open.

"How come you never mentioned those handsome friends of yours?" her mother muttered, suddenly appearing behind her.

Hermione stared at her with narrowed eyes. "What is it you're implying, Mum? Those are Ron's brothers, I'm sure I've mentioned them. But they're not... we're not..." she stuttered, but her mum just stared at her with a growing smile.

"Not yet, but they look like they're definitely up for it. They're quite fit, you know? Handsome, too."

Hermione groaned. "So? They're still Ron's brothers."

But her mother only chuckled. "So? Your dad is uncle Tim's brother, and we were in the same class, just like you and Ronald. That doesn't mean anything. Now go back into the pool and have some fun. No, don't tell me you don't have time for that, because right now you do. It's summer!" Hermione felt a little shove from behind and stumbled forward, which was when Fred and George saw her.

"Come on, Hermione," George shouted and waved a water ball her dad had given him. "We need you to join us so we can start a game."

She groaned inwardly, plastering a smile on her face. "I'm coming," she shouted, shrugging off her towel, stepping closer to the pool. These boys were almost like brothers to her, so she guessed a game of water ball or two couldn't hurt. Maybe this would finally satisfy her overexcited and nosy mother, which would be a nice bonus.

ssssssss

George was tired, but happy, when they finally made it out of the Granger's swimming pool an hour later. Playing in the pool with Hermione, her father, and Fred had been unexpectedly fun, and the two Grangers made good team partners. In the end, it had been Fred and Mr Granger who won the game, but it was a close call, and George didn't mind at all. For him, it had been a much better afternoon than expected (and worlds more exciting than the time he would have had in the Burrow).

"So, what kind of message did you want to deliver before my mum more or less forced you to spend the afternoon with us?" Hermione asked, drying herself with her fluffy towel. George and his brother had made little progress the Muggle way, and had simply opted to use magic to get themselves dry and clad in their regular clothes. As their friend was still underage, she didn't have that option.

George looked around. Her parents were nowhere in sight and so he stepped closer and said in a hushed tone: "We'll move quarters in a few days. Seems like Dumbledore and a few others want to resurrect their old resistance group. They want to move the headquarters to Sirius's old home and we're here to tell you that you're invited too."

Hermione nodded contemplatively. "I see. Well, I'm not sure if I could come right away. I rarely see my parents now that I'm at school, and they want to spend as much time with me as possible. For Muggles, it's really hard to accept that their only child is away most of the year, you know? Still, I need to know what's happening, so I can prepare for the fight ahead..."

George and his brother nodded in understanding. It was kind of a shitty situation for her. The girl was Muggleborn, after all, and already had a target on her back. It was only natural that she wanted to prepare herself, if that was even possible. As scarily smart as Hermione Granger was, it probably was the only way she would be allowed to use magic without the fear of being discovered, and therefore prepare herself. "Understandable. Well, maybe we could help to convince your parents. Your mum seemed to like us."

The little witch groaned in embarrassment. "Don't remind me. She's kind of obsessed with the thought that I need some more romantic excitement in my life, and then you both came along. I won't hear the end of it."

Fred snorted next to him but George ignored his brother and smiled. "Well, that kind of plays into our cards, right? Shall I talk to her and ask her for a little more time with you?" He winked at her and Hermione stared at him with wide eyes and rosy cheeks.

"You'd do that? But she… she would think…"

She couldn't finish the sentence; instead, she just gaped at him, and so George supplied the end of her sentence. "Think what? That I fancy you?" He shrugged totally unconcernedly. "Would it bother you, if she thought that of me?"

Hermione stared at him for a long moment and he really couldn't tell what she was thinking. So he let an encouraging smile take over his face. He wasn't sure himself why he was suggesting this kind of thing, but it seemed like the easiest way to help Hermione. It was for a good cause, right?

"Well, she'll probably pester me for details in her letters, but I think I'll be able to deal with that," the bushy-haired girl said gnawing on her bottom lip. "It's not like it's true anyway, right? Alright, tell her and then let's see if they let me go."

He grinned at her. "Don't worry, Hermione. I can be very convincing," he said and winked at her. And he kind of liked the blush that spread on her cheeks at his words.

sssssssss

George's plan worked perfectly, but the days until she could finally leave for the Burrow were the longest of her life. Whatever George had said to her mother had put the unmistakable idea in her head that Hermione had a secret admirer. As a result, the meddlesome woman seemed to spend almost every spare minute reminding Hermione of what a good-looking and nice boy George Weasley was. Hermione would have almost found it funny if her head hadn't started replaying scenes from their shared time in the pool. Sometimes, when she closed her eyes in the evening, Hermione could see the drops of water gleaming on his bare chest, a thought that upon reflection was completely unsettling. Somehow her mum's talk of teenage romance had gotten into her head and kicked off the final stage of her puberty. But feeling heartbreak over a boy was the last thing Hermione Granger needed. She didn't have time for that kind of nonsense, after all.

ssssssssss

The days until Hermione's arrival at the Burrow were packed with planning and product design. Fred had come up with the brilliant idea of a mail-order business that they would be able to run during their last year at Hogwarts, though this meant that they'd need to have the forms ready and a stock of original products to tempt potential customers. Therefore, the twins spent most of the time locked in their room and did what they did best: they planned mischief.

"I still can't believe they're letting us pick her up," George murmured to his brother when they found themselves back at Hermione's house five days after their last visit. It hadn't been hard to convince their parents to let them pick up the girl, as everyone was busy and they both had their Apparition licenses. It would be a quick in-and-out (with the added bonus that George could show his handsome face to Hermione's mother, making their story more believable).

"Well, we're lucky everyone is busy planning the move into the new place. Wonder how it will be in Sirius's old childhood home? The Blacks aren't known for their cheerful nature…" Fred mused, but his twin just shrugged and rang the Granger's melodic doorbell.

"Ah, Fred, George! It's so nice to see you again. Do come in!" Opening the door, Mrs Granger invited them into the house almost immediately. "Hermione couldn't wait to finally see you again." She winked at them and smiled knowingly. Fred had to prevent himself from rolling his eyes, because he was pretty sure that Hermione Granger had no interest in him or his brother whatsoever, but her mother seemed convinced otherwise.

"Hermione, honey, your boys are here to pick you up," Mrs Granger shouted up the stairs, and a moment later, a door opened and a sour-looking Hermione trudged down the stairs.

"Mum, please, for the hundredth time, they aren't my boys. They're just here to pick me up," the girl mumbled to her mother, her cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment, before casting them a hesitant smile. "Hey Fred, hey George. It's so nice of you to pick me up."

"Hello, Hermione," George greeted her and Fred saw an almost sappy smile draw itself across his face. It was hilarious— and absolutely believable. Hermione's mum seemed to think so too.

"I'm sure those boys don't mind at all, isn't that right?" she said, winking at them conspiratorially. Fred saw Hermione roll her eyes.

"Sure we don't," Fred said quickly and smiled. "Do you have everything packed up, Hermione?"

"Everything's upstairs," she said quickly and smiled at them. "You're sure we can take everything along? What about Crooks?"

"Don't worry about him," Fred said with a confident smile. "I'll take him along with me, he'll be right as rain. George and I were best in class when it came to Apparition lessons, so don't worry."

For a moment the girl looked at them in total disbelief, then something shifted behind her eyes and she smiled. "Alright, I trust you," she said, and for a moment Fred's heart jumped in his chest. Nobody had ever said that to him, which was sad, but true nonetheless. It was probably due to their reputation as pranksters and troublemakers, but that certainly wasn't all that they were. Nobody seemed to see that though, not until this moment. Fred could see in Hermione's eyes that her words were genuine, and he puffed his chest with pride.

"We won't let you down, Hermione," he promised with an honest smile before moving towards the stairs. "Shall we then?" Hermione looked at George for a moment, before she blinked and turned to her mother.

"Alright, Mum, I guess I'll be off then. I'll write to you soon, I promise," she said before being pulled into a tight hug and kissed on the cheek.

"I'm counting on it, honey. Who knows? Maybe you'll have something to tell me sooner than you expect." The words were whispered into Hermione's ear, but Fred heard them anyway. He schooled his features, waiting patiently for the two women to finish their goodbyes. It didn't take long before Hermione pulled away with a tight smile, briefly revealing the sadness of leaving her parents despite trying to make them believe otherwise, and led them up the stairs. Her mother stayed behind and waved at them with a happy smile and twinkling eyes.

Hermione's room was everything Fred had expected yet totally different at the same time. On the wall next to the bed, there was a huge shelf that was stuffed with various books. There was also a large variety of Muggle equipment, and Fred didn't have the tiniest idea what any of it was. With palpable interest, he looked at the stuff assembled on her large desk and table next to it.

"What's all that stuff?" his brother asked before he had the chance, and he saw Hermione turn towards George with a pleased smile.

"It's my science equipment. I still try to get stuff done on the holidays, you know?" She pointed at a large metal and glass instrument and said, "That's a microscope. Non-magical people use it to see tiny structures. If we had more time, I would show you."

"Sounds fascinating. Maybe next time?" George smiled kindly and the girl looked quite pleased at that.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" she said before turning towards her bed. "Here's my suitcase and that's Crooks's travel basket. So how shall we do this?" She looked at them with an expectant expression.

Fred smiled. "I'll take your stuff and George will apparate you along. It will only be a moment. Just hold on tight and you'll be alright."

Hermione nodded and stepped towards his brother with a nervous smile. "Alright. I guess I can do this."

George offered his arm and Hermione took it without hesitation, clasping it tightly with both hands. For a split second, something in Fred twitched at the sight, but it was gone a moment later.

"Alright, Hermione, I'll count to three and then we'll be off. Just take a deep breath and don't let go. Can you do that?" George asked with an encouraging smile. The little witch nodded. His brother started to count and when he reached two, Hermione stared with wide eyes while he smiled comfortingly. Then he saw her take a deep breath and a moment later they were off. Suddenly alone, Fred felt like an intruder in her room.

"Alright, you little bugger," he addressed her ugly cat, picking up his basket. "Your mistress is already gone, so let's make this quick, shall we? At the Burrow there are lots of Garden Gnomes for you to hunt, so that's a thing to look forward to, huh?" He smiled before grabbing the huge trunk with his other hand. "Here we go. Just please don't puke on me, mate, alright?" And with a crack, Fred Weasley Apparated away.

sssssssss

Hermione stumbled forward, and would have surely landed on her knees if George hadn't been holding her upright. She hadn't known what to expect from Apparation, but it was like riding a rollercoaster blindfolded through the eye of a needle. Her stomach churned violently, and she was pretty sure she was going to lose its contents in front of George.

"Hermione? You alright?" she heard his concerned voice from next to her, but she could only shake her head mutely before her knees buckled and she swayed. The redhead immediately put an arm around her waist and steadied her against him. "Don't worry, I've got you," he assured her and Hermione used the chance to lean against him and close her eyes for a few seconds. The world was still swaying around her, but at least she could feel her stomach slowly settling down.

"Merlin, I'm not eager to repeat that experience anytime soon," she mumbled, taking a deep breath. "That is ten times worse than flying on a broom, and I'm not a big fan of that either."

George didn't say anything, waiting patiently until she felt better. It took her a few more minutes, but she was finally able to open her eyes and step back. "Better now?" he asked, his brown eyes staring in concern. Hermione put on a brave smile, which probably looked more like a grimace.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm still a bit wobbly and I think I might skip dinner, but at least I don't feel like I'm about to lose my lunch in front of you."

The redhead smiled at her with twinkling eyes. "Understandable. Percy puked the first time Dad took him along, and I'm sure he's not the only one. It gets better with time. Don't worry, side-along Apparition is much worse than doing it yourself."

Hermione nodded weakly and started to walk towards the Burrow. The house was still about 200 metres away, but she was happy to get some more fresh air. George fell into step next to her, but they hadn't even made it half way when an agitated Crookshanks dashed though the grass and leapt into Hermione's arms. There he cuddled close and looked at Fred, who was standing a few metres away, with small distrustful eyes.

"He bolted as soon as I opened his basket," the redhead explained with an apologetic smile towards Hermione. She scratched the nervous furball behind an ear before looking at Fred with a faint smile. "I'm sure he didn't like Apparating any more than I did. You should probably avoid him for a few days. He can be a bit vengeful, you know?"

Fred snorted. "Alright. Shall we go in? Ginny can't wait for a bit of female backup. Ron's been driving her nuts."

Hermione giggled and started moving towards the house. "Can't imagine why."

The Burrow was exactly like Hermione remembered it. The house was the total opposite from her parents' home, and when she visited it for the first time, she was totally overwhelmed by the chaos. Only that it wasn't chaos in the least, as she found out later, and by now she felt almost at home in the crooked, strange wizarding home. It was probably due to the fact that the Weasleys had always treated her like family— not only Ron's parents, but the whole family had simply accepted her as one of their own. It was a strange feeling, Hermione never having any siblings for herself, though she definitely saw Ginny as a younger sister now. In fact, until recently, she had also viewed Fred and George as something like older brothers, but since they had come to her home some days ago, not so much…

It was most likely due to her mother's talk of teenage romance and never-ending comments about how handsome the two men were. Hermione was catching herself, almost daily, thinking about what it would be like to be Fred's or George's girlfriend. It was totally hilarious, because she was sure that they weren't remotely interested in her. Now that her mother would only be able to nag her through her letters, she would hopefully leave this embarrassing phase behind her, soon. After all, pining after somebody who was far out of her reach was anything but fun.


	2. Chapter 2

A.N.: Hello to all of you, who want to join me on this exciting journey. I am happy for each one of you and grateful for all the love and support you are giving me. For those of you who are wondering about the pairing: I honestly can not say which pairing we will have in the end, as I am only in chapter 5 by now. This could either be Hermione/Fred, Hermione/George or Hermione/Fred/George. So if any of those possibilities bother you, you probably shouldn't read any further.

Chapter 2: The grim old place

Grimmauld Place wasn't at all what Hermione had expected it to be. She'd not heard much about Sirius Black's family, but through Harry, she knew that his godfather had run away as a teenager. As soon as she set foot in the house, she knew why. It took mere seconds until the nasty portrait next to the front door started berating her. She looked at it with wide eyes, frozen in shock.

"Oh, shut up!" the voice of Sirius Black roared from inside, and a moment later, the man was in front of her, his figure gaunt and his eyes wide. His black wand was drawn in his right hand and for a moment she was brought back to seeing him in the Shrieking Shack, insanity clearly shimmering in his eyes. Before she registered what she was doing, she stumbled backwards until her back hit a warm body behind her.

"Oi, careful Hermione," Fred mumbled behind her, but for a second she just leaned closer, fumbling for her wand. It was only a moment until the others registered what she was doing, and Sirius Black immediately froze and looked at her with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Hermione, I really didn't mean to scare you," he said as he scratched the back of his head and took a step back.

Hermione looked at him with burning cheeks. "I… you just startled me, that's all," she admitted. She forced herself to step away from Fred, whom she could feel looking at her. His eyes on her did nothing to reduce her embarrassment.

"It's all right. We didn't start off on the best foot after all," Sirius said, rubbing his neck. "But I promise— I'm totally friendly to anyone who isn't related to me." He smirked and winked at Tonks, who must have been standing somewhere behind her. "Do come in, you lot. This place is a shithole, but I'm so happy to have you stay here. There's enough room for all of you, as soon as we get the place cleaned up a bit."

With that, he turned around and led them through a dimly lit hallway that had a massive staircase at its right side. Hermione looked up and realized with horror that shrunken house-elf heads lined the wall, presumably as a decoration. It took all her willpower not to turn around and start running from this place (and, by the look of it, she wasn't the only one feeling that way).

"Can we share a room, Hermione?" Ginny mumbled behind her and Hermione nodded mutely. She was sure, even with Ginny next to her, she would have trouble even closing her eyes in the evenings.

"I bet there's lots of dark stuff hidden in all of these rooms," Ron mumbled behind her with something like awe. "Let's go exploring for a bit after dinner," he suggested, and she could see the twins clapping his back in excitement.

"Brilliant idea. Count us in, Ronnekins," they said with matching grins on their faces. Hermione couldn't help rolling her eyes at them.

"I'm going to the library. Don't fancy getting myself into trouble on the first day," she said, and turned to Ginny. "Shall we go and see if there's a room for us?"

The redhead nodded eagerly and followed her up the stairs after a moment. "She's such a killjoy sometimes," Hermione heard Ron complain to the twins, but she didn't turn around to see their reaction. If they wanted to get themselves in trouble, then so be it. She had better things to do with her time. The school year hadn't even started, but she had a feeling that trouble wouldn't wait for long to find her again. When it did, she wanted to be prepared.

The library at Grimmauld Place was a dark and dusty place, but it was also a place where Hermione could feel at home, so she buried herself there as soon as she had a minute of free time. The place was like a huge restricted section, and as all the adults seemed to trust her, she was left to browse the shelves in peace.

It was her way of getting away from all the madness around her. The adults were usually busy in the kitchen or cleaning out room after room of the house. Most of the rooms were stuffed with dark artifacts, and Ron and the twins had learned on their first evening that it was a bad idea to browse these rooms without backup. Hermione still felt an air of satisfaction when she remembered Ron's panicked face as he came rushing into the kitchen the first evening, sporting some sort of pink moving bulges that seemed to roam all over his body. It took all her willpower not to rub in his face that she had, of course, been right to warn them, but it seemed he and the twins were expecting her to tell them off, and so she bit her tongue.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind her. "Mind if I join you?" Without looking up, she knew that it was Sirius Black talking to her.

"Not at all," she lied because, to be honest, she still felt slightly uncomfortable in the man's presence. But she couldn't just send him away in his own house.

"Good, because I'd like to talk to you if you don't mind," Sirius said, sitting down in the wing chair across from her.

Hermione put her book away with a sigh before forcing a grin. "How can I help you, Mr Black?"

He frowned. "Would you mind calling me Sirius? Everyone does and, to be honest, I feel kind of old when you call me Mr Black." He smiled and, for a moment, Hermione could see that he must have been handsome once, but she crushed that thought immediately. Merlin, what was wrong with her recently? She closed her eyes for a second, in hopes of hiding her embarrassment.

"Alright, Sirius," she said after a moment and forced herself to look at him again. She realized that he was watching her with a curious expression.

"What's wrong, Hermione? I don't want to intrude, but I have the feeling that something is bothering you."

Hermione sighed. She really didn't want to have this conversation. "No, I'm alright, thanks for asking," she said quickly, but she could see that he wasn't buying it.

"Is it the house? Because believe me, I can understand. I hate this place more than I can verbally express, but my parents had the house well secured. Grimmauld Place has all the protections money —or magic— could get, and that's why we're stuck here." Sirius smiled apologetically.

Hermione shook her head with a sigh. "That's alright; don't worry, Sirius. It's… I just feel a bit off lately. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression."

"So you haven't been avoiding me?" he inquired with a knowing smile. Hermione groaned inwardly. Had she been that obvious?

"I…" she didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to offend you or anything, it's just…"

"…that you don't know me and I seemed a bit crazy when we last met?" he concluded with a snort. "Don't worry, I get it. I surely haven't made the best of impressions, but I'd like to change that. You're one of Harry's best friends, which means we're likely to see a lot of each other in the future, and I'd hate it if you felt like running every time you caught sight of me." He winked at her and Hermione couldn't help but snort.

"That would definitely be awkward," Hermione admitted with a smile.

Sirius grinned. "See? So could you imagine being friends with this old dog instead? I swear I don't bite." For a moment she could have sworn the man was making puppy dog eyes at her. Within the blink of an eye, it was not Sirius Black but a huge black dog sitting in front of her on the wing chair, wagging its tail excitedly. Hermione looked at the dog with a stunned expression.

"Uh…"

That didn't seem to be the response Sirius had been expecting because suddenly the dog leapt out of the chair only to put its head in her lap, where it looked at her with wide pleading eyes while making a whining noise.

Hermione snorted. "Alright, alright. We can be friends," she agreed with a huff. The black dog lifted its head and looked at her with happy eyes and tongue lolling out of its mouth. Hermione shook her head with a chuckle. She couldn't help but be under the impression that she had just fallen victim to Sirius Black's charm. She also had the impression, somehow, that he had known exactly what he was doing.

sssssssss

George hated Grimmauld Place. The house was dark, dirty and emitted an air of depression and hate that was seeping into his bones. They had been in the place for a week now, and he could feel that it was having the same effect on his twin: Fred rarely smiled now, and that simply wasn't right. This house was pulling them down, crushing their happiness, making it hard for them to be their usual cheerful selves. Nevertheless, they had made it their mission not to let anyone notice that they felt off. Still, Fred and George had renamed Grimmauld Place "the grim old place" in their heads because, really, that's what it was. Using that name among themselves helped to cheer them up (a bit, at least). It got harder day after day.

George was not sure why he and his brothers had been so keen on exploring the rooms of this place. By now, they must have cleaned out four or five of them, and apart from a bunch of Puffskeins —which they could use for some breeding experiments—, there was nothing remotely of interest. By the fifth day, they wished they could find a reason to stay in their room. Maybe if they got themselves sick somehow? That wouldn't be very beneficial, would it? But what if they found a way to appear sick without actually suffering the long-term effects? That would be something to put a bit of thought to... and wouldn't that be a product they could sell to desperate Hogwarts students, too?

George and his brother rarely ever felt down, as they always kept each other standing up and in good humour, but that wasn't easy after their mum had found out their plans to open a shop, burned their stash of order forms, and kept them busy with cleaning the dingy place while lecturing them on the importance of school work. It was enough to make even them grumpy, and that was saying something. But Grimmauld Place itself seemed to take its toll on all of them, with Sirius suffering the most. He was a grumpy bastard now, and there wasn't much left of the daring Marauder he was known as in his youth. Azkaban had almost snuffed out that light and, it seemed, this bloody house was trying to finish the job. What a shame.

It didn't get better when one evening Dumbledore stormed into the house and a shouting match erupted downstairs in the kitchen. They didn't even need Extendable Ears to hear that Mundungus Fletcher had fucked something up spectacularly. They weren't the only ones listening in, though, as a moment later their wide-eyed sister stumbled into their room with a grim-looking Hermione Granger in tow.

"Do you know what this is all about?" she asked them in a whisper, throwing herself onto his bed. George moved aside to make room for her.

"They were obviously keeping tabs on Harry," Fred explained. "Looks like people from the Order were standing guard around his aunt's house, but Mundungus left early today and there seems to have been an attack."

Hermione nodded grimly. "I've never seen Dumbledore this angry. It was absolutely scary," the little witch admitted, shifting from one leg to the other while standing in the middle of the room.

"Argh, would you please sit down, Hermione?" Ginny huffed in annoyance. "You're making me even more nervous than I already am."

Hermione sighed before she sat down next to Fred on his bed, looking at them with a tired expression. "Sorry, I just feel like I need to do something, you know?" she said while gnawing at her bottom lip. It was a nervous habit George had seen her indulge in from time to time, and he smiled at the familiarity of it.

"Absolutely," Fred agreed with a determined nod. "But we asked the adults and they won't let us join the Order, even though we're of age. They said we have to finish school first— ridiculous, if you ask me. As if the Dark Lord is going to ask you how many NEWTs you got before he kills you."

George couldn't help but snort, and even Hermione couldn't resist a hint of a smile.. "I know," she said, back to her dark expression, and looked at them with furrowed brows. "But there isn't much we seem to be able to do right now. The library of the house has some useful books on curses and counter curses, but some of them sound really dark, and I'm not sure if I should try them without an instructor. I tried to talk to Professor Lupin one evening, but he seemed busy and didn't really have time to listen." She sighed and rubbed her forehead.

For a moment they sat in silence before George suddenly felt his little sister lean against him with a sigh. "Do you think Harry's alright?" she asked in a small voice that he recognized from when she was scared or a small child.

"I'm sure he's fine," George consoled her, pulling her close. "He's a skilled wizard, and even though shit seems to follow him around, he's gotten away over and over again."

Ginny nodded mutely and leaned her head against his side. "I hope you're right," she mumbled and Hermione nodded towards her with a smile.

"I'm sure he is. Harry can look after himself, Ginny. Don't worry. Maybe they'll now finally decide that it's best to bring him here. I swear, if I have to write another meaningless letter to him…"

She scowled, and even though she hadn't said anything remotely funny, her expression put a little smile on George's face. It was his first one in what felt like ages, and for that fact alone, he could have hugged her.

sssssssss

Hermione would be happy when they were finally able to leave Grimmauld Place behind. The days there hadn't been anything like she had expected or hoped them to be. She liked the Weasleys, of course —they were like a second family to her—, but Ron's parents seemed constantly busy. Fred and George mostly hid in their room, when they weren't cleaning dingy drawing rooms alongside herself, Ron, and Ginny. There wasn't much of a chance for her to learn anything that would help her defend herself from You-Know-Who and his followers. This was more than disappointing, considering that she was living in the headquarters of probably the only resistance group in the budding wizarding war. Frustratingly, the adults seemed busy planning whatever, and there wasn't any training going on. So Hermione spent her days cleaning and secretly mourning the time she could have spent with her parents and a good book at their pool.

When Harry finally arrived, Hermione hoped for a moment that things would change. But even though Harry had been angry and had demanded answers, they didn't learn much except that there was some kind of secret weapon in need of protection. The cleaning sessions continued, and it wasn't until Harry's hearing at the Ministry that the spirits at Grimmauld Place seemed to lift. Everyone was happy that Harry had avoided expulsion. Despite how ridiculous they believed the Ministry's accusations, it had been a close call.

"Can't wait to get back to Hogwarts," Ron mumbled next to her, lounging in a wing chair in the dark library. "I swear, if I have to clean another fucking drawing-room…" he moaned and stretched his legs. While Hermione didn't agree with his language, she did very much agree with what he was saying. Merlin, she felt like these weeks at the Headquarters had almost been a total waste of time.

She sighed. "Yeah. You see, Harry, there's really nothing about our time here of which you need to be jealous," she soothed her friend, who still seemed more short-tempered than usual. She had been walking on eggshells around him for the last few days, as it always seemed his anger was constantly simmering below his surface. Having one of her friends angry at her again wasn't something she thought she could deal with right now.

"Yeah, I know," Harry admitted with a scowl. "I just felt so left out. Maybe you didn't get to do anything exciting, but at least you had each other while I was rotting away in Privet Drive." Hermione sighed: that much was true.

"I get what you're saying, mate," Ron said with a smile. "Well, tomorrow we'll finally be back at the castle and then it's just the usual craziness of another year at Hogwarts."

Hermione laughed. "You mean trolls, dementors, and basilisks that are out to kill us?"

Harry laughed. "Just the usual, then. For some reason I've got the feeling that this year might be special. I dunno why…"

She smiled nervously. "I hope you mean special in a good way. I know you boys love the excitement, but I really wouldn't mind a year of uninterrupted studying."

The boys snorted. "I don't think we'll be so lucky," Ron said and Hermione, against her deeper wishes, silently agreed.

Sssssssss

Severus Snape didn't have a good summer holiday, not at all. Since the Dark Lord had returned at the end of the last term, his already shitty life had turned even shittier, which was really saying something. Though more than half of the wizarding world didn't believe the brat and the old fool (also known as Harry Potter and Headmaster Dumbledore, respectively), Severus Snape had daily proof of the veracity of their story. He had done a lot of cowering and kneeling and pleading in the last weeks, and he wasn't sure if his ageing joints would ever recover. Not that it really mattered, because if things kept going south as they had been, he wouldn't see the end of the upcoming school term.

"You may raise, Severusssss," the snake-like man hissed from the makeshift throne he had built himself in Lucius's house. Snape didn't envy his old friend Lucius for the questionable honour of playing host to his important guest. Severus could only guess what it would mean for Malfoy to displease the Dark Lord in any way. His master had definitely lost even more of his patience since his miraculous resurrection a few weeks ago.

"Thank you, my Lord," Severus replied in a most devout voice, rising from his place on the cold marble floor, where his Master had had him kneel for several minutes while staring at him through small, red eyes. It was always the same: he would try to read his thoughts while Severus would block him with his Occlumency skills— and so far, he must have been successful, because of the unmistakable fact that he was still alive.

"I have a task for you, Severussss," Lord Voldemort said, and looked at him with an expression that implied that Snape should call himself lucky for being chosen in the first place. It was an unambiguous hint that he was in trouble. He bowed his head, plastering a grateful smile on his face, before mumbling something about being grateful for receiving such an honour.

"The Ministry just discovered the appearance of an Open Link, Severussss… Such a thing hasn't happened in 102 years."

Severus blinked in confusion. He had never heard of such a thing and he prided himself to be a well-read wizard. "An Open Link, my Lord? I don't understand…" he confessed, fearing it would bring him another round of Crucio, yet his master seemed surprisingly pleased with his confession.

"There is no shame in that, my faithful servant. It is quite a rare phenomenon that only establishes itself in witches or wizards on the brink of adulthood. You see, usually, the magic is locked inside of our magical core but in case of this anomaly, the person is able to connect themselves to a witch or wizard of their choosing and share their magical power with them. Notably, it only works as long as there's some kind of emotional attachment involved."

Severus contemplated the Dark Lord's words. Having such a person at hand would have definite advantages for whoever was able to conquer the Open Link. It was no surprise that his master wanted to get a hold of this living anomaly. "I can see how this would help us with our course, my Lord. But how am I supposed to find this person? Is there any kind of trait I could use to identify this Open Link?"

The pale man in front of him stroked his chin while casting him a mysterious smile. "That, I fear, is the complicated part, and the reason I have chosen you to perform this task for me. The child might not even be aware themself, but you should look out for someone experiencing strong emotions, as the Open Link will try to connect themself to someone else as quickly as possible. It will most likely be a virgin, or someone who hasn't been in a relationship before, as these feelings are just awakening. But be careful, as I am sure you'll not be the only one searching for this secret weapon. I'm sure the Ministry will also try to get its greedy fingers on our prey, not to mention your meddlesome Headmaster."

Severus cursed inwardly. How was he supposed to find somebody like this when the halls of Hogwarts were filled with nothing but emotional teenagers? It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. In other words: he was positively screwed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The School Counsellor

This last year of their Hogwarts career would be a special one, that much was obvious to Fred and George. As notorious troublemakers, they had learned to read people around them well enough, as their success was strongly dependent on this skill. There was definitely an air of nervousness and anticipation radiating towards them from the teacher's table in the Great Hall, a sure sign that something was up. Especially promising in that regard looked the small, stout woman that was a new addition to the teacher's table. Fred prayed she wouldn't be their new Defense Professor, as she didn't look like she would be able to defeat a spider on the wall, let alone something more sinister. Merlin, he wasn't sure if he would be able to stand another Lockhart.

Whatever news it was, Dumbledore refrained from addressing them until everyone was sated and happy from the food the skilled Hogwarts house-elves had provided. When the old wizard finally rose from his seat, Fred could tell that all eyes in the Great Hall were focused on him.

"Now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, there are some announcements I'd like to make. First, I have been notified by the ministry that some days ago the appearance of an Open Link was registered in the country. As this is a condition that only appears in children undergoing puberty, it is most likely that the affected person is here, among us. Luckily the Ministry of Magic was kind enough to send somebody willing to support and educate you, considering the many questions you might have regarding this very exciting topic." With that Dumbledore turned to the short, pink woman with the ugly bow on her head and smiled grandfatherly. "Students, please welcome Dolores Umbridge, your new School Counselor and teacher for Emotional and Attachment Education." At that, Dolores Umbridge, who was looking more and more like a toad to him, rose from her seat and looked at the students with a sickly sweet smile. Fred immediately decided that he didn't like her one bit. He could already see her in his mind's eye, sitting in a fluffy pink chair, looking at him with that same sickening smile, asking if there was something he wanted to talk to her about. It was the stuff of nightmares.

"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome," Dolores Umbridge said in a high, girly voice, looking at the assembled students with her head proudly raised. "I must say, it is so lovely to be back at Hogwarts! And to see all your happy and excited faces looking up at me!" Fred grimaced. He definitely wasn't one of those happy faces, and by the looks of it, neither was anyone around him. "Hem, hem, as your teacher for Emotional and Attachment Education —EAAE for short—, it is my task to inform you about the "Open Link" situation and the risks pertaining to this condition. There is no reason for you to worry those fragile, little heads of yours, though. I will give you all the information you need to discover whether you might be the one affected and what can be done to help you in this time of need." She puffed her chest proudly. "It will be my honour to stand by your side and support you in this time of uncertainty and emotional struggles. The Ministry is very much aware of the pressure on growing youth and has sent me to help you learn how to make good decisions. Because, as a school, it is not only our task to educate and shape your minds, but also to guard and protect those fragile little hearts beating in your chests."

Fred was going to be sick, he just knew it. Was this toady woman really telling them that she intended to educate them in… well, in what? Love? Sex? Merlin, hopefully, these lessons of hers were just about the ominous condition known as the "Open Link". Otherwise, they would have to speed the invention of their Skiving Snackboxes, as they planned to call them, because there was no chance in hell that he was sitting through more than an hour of this woman talking about love and sex.

sssssssss

The Open Link and the new, related school subject was the talk of the evening, and when the next day came, almost everybody in the Great Hall could be heard talking about it. The news that there would be no other new professor in the staff and that therefore Dumbledore himself would teach DADA for students in fifth year and above, while the other teachers would split the other classes between them, had caused surprisingly little excitement. But for Hermione, this was news that made her day. Finally, they would have a competent teacher for DADA and, hopefully, the Headmaster would be able to prepare them for what was to come! Open Link or not, the Dark Lord was lurking somewhere, just waiting for the right moment to attack, and Hermione Granger wanted to be prepared. Unfortunately, her first DADA lesson wasn't until Friday, whereas her first lesson with the new school counsellor would take place right after their block of Transfiguration on Monday morning. So Hermione, Ron and Harry soon found themselves in a classroom with a bunch of over-excited students (especially Parvati and Lavender who were already very much aflame for the new school subject). More than once Hermione heard them discuss who of the Hogwarts students would be the new 'Chosen One'.

"Hem, hem." Hermione's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by someone clearing their throat, and when she looked up, she could see the new Professor had taken her position in front of the classroom. She was immediately alert, and straightened her back to look at her new teacher expectantly. "Welcome to your first lesson on EAAE, my lovely students. I am sure many of you already have a lot of questions for me, and I will be most pleased to answer all of them for you. The Ministry of Magic has finally recognized a need to provide guidance to students during such an emotionally challenging phase of your life."

Hermione nodded contemplatively. The idea of some sort of emotional education was actually a very good one, as many of the boys at Hogwarts had the emotional depth of a puddle and could surely use some help in understanding the girls around them. Still, she had the feeling that this would only be part of their new education, and she prepared herself to take detailed notes.

"Hem, hem, I am sure the most pressing question on your minds is the condition that is known as the 'Open Link'. It is very rare among witches and wizards, and even though it provides the affected individual (which we will call OL from now on) with certain powers, it also comes with many risks and responsibilities. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you keep a close eye on yourself and watch for any signs of emotional anomalies or sudden strong feelings of attachment that you might experience for other people."

"You mean like love?" Ron's voice asked uncomfortably from directly behind her, and the eyes of their teacher were immediately fixed on him.

"Your name is?" she asked in a clipped tone that implied that she wasn't very fond of interruptions.

"Ron, Ron Weasley, ma'am."

Dolores Umbridge cleared her throat. "Ah yes, Mr Weasley. This is indeed a very good question, but I would kindly ask you, from now on, to raise your hand if there is a question." She smiled and Hermione could only imagine that Ron nodded mutely behind her. "The sudden feelings you might encounter may indeed feel like love or infatuation, but what you are experiencing is your magic's attempt to find a partner who can connect itself to. You see, usually a wizard's magic is locked in their magical core and cannot be touched or used by any other person, but this is not true in the case of an OL." The School Counsellor looked at them with a stern expression. "An OL's magical core is anxious to attach itself to another person's, and will be forced to do this at some point. You see, the core itself is not closed but rather experiences some sort of leak, which can lead to a slow drain of magical energy. As such, it is quite dangerous for the affected individual. This condition also makes their magic accessible to another person, and by connecting to it, the leak in the magical core can finally be closed. I think I don't need to tell you that it is important to choose the person for such a position very carefully."

At that, the class erupted in excited whispers and Hermione could at least see four hands raise into the air. Her hand was not among them.

"And you are Miss…?"

"Lavender Brown, Professor," Lavender answered proudly before she continued. "The person you forge such a connection to must be a person you love, right? I am sure it must be pure, reciprocated love and nothing else, am I correct?" the girl said in a dreamy tone, ending her question with a sigh.

Professor Umbridge smiled kindly at her student, before she let her eyes roam through the class. "That is one way to form a connection, Ms Brown, but not the only way. Feelings of admiration, deep friendship, or the need to support somebody might be enough to form a link. This type of link may not be as strong as one that is formed by love, or even marriage, or … hem, hem… sexual interaction…" —at this, the class snickered— "but it might still be enough to grant an amount of emotional stability to our 'Open Link' and share its magical powers, if only temporarily."

At that, more hands rose into the air.

"Does that mean that an OL could magically support whatever person he feels the desire to?" Seamus asked after giving his name to the Professor. The short woman nodded with a pleased smile on her face.

"This is correct, Mr Finnigan," she said and awarded him five house points. "This is the reason the Open Link needs to be found as soon as possible. The Minister himself assures you that all necessary measures will be taken to provide security and a suitable Link-Partner for him or her."

Hermione didn't like where this was going at all. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and raised her hand. Dolores Umbridge fixed her with interested eyes and a kind smile. "What's your name, dear?"

"My name is Hermione Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you are implying that the Ministry will want to choose a Partner for the Open Link? Why not let the person decide for themselves?"

Even though Dolores Umbridge's smile stayed kind, something shifted in her eyes at Hermione's words and she suddenly felt a shudder run through her body.

"Well, Miss Granger, the person we are talking about will most likely be an emotionally unstable teenager that will see the need to attach to whoever seems suitable for him or her. What kind of educated decision do you expect such a person to make? I must warn you, my dear children. sexual… hem, hem… intercourse will, without doubt, create a permanent link between the OL and its partner, even though they might, at a later point, wish not to be connected to such a person any longer." Dolores Umbridge said these words with her nose wrinkled in a way that implied, that she found the idea of random or light-hearted sex absolutely despicable. Though Hermione was convinced that she wanted to wait for somebody special to engage in that kind of activity with, she knew very well that many of her classmates didn't object to having a bit of fun from time to time.

She nodded thoughtfully before carefully saying: "That would be very regrettable, indeed. What about… I'm sorry, Professor, but … what about non-amicable intercourse?" she asked, feeling her cheeks tinge pink. Behind her, she heard Parvati gasp in shock, but she willed her eyes to be fixed at the Professor. For a moment it seemed that the corner of Dolores Umbridge's eyes twitched at her words, but the encouraging smile didn't leave the woman's face.

"I can reassure you Miss Granger, in case of —how did you call it?— non-amicable intercourse, no such connection will be formed. Do not worry yourself about it."

Hermione nodded and sighed in relief. That at least was good news. If one first had to build some kind of emotional connection, this hopefully reduced the danger of Voldemort raping one of her fellow students. Hermione was sure that such an act would not be beneath him if it would increase his power. How likely would it be that one of them formed an emotional attachment to the Dark Lord, though? In case that the Open Link was a Slytherin, this actually might be a possibility, but otherwise…

"Any other questions?" Dolores Umbridge's voice pulled her from her thoughts. There were indeed many more questions, and Hermione, as did many of her classmates, soaked up every answer their Professor gave like a sponge.

ssssssssss

"Who do you think it is?" Harry asked her as they lounged together in the Gryffindor common room that evening. Her friend seemed to be in a strange mood since learning about the existence of the Open Link, and Hermione couldn't really blame him for it. The thought alone that one of them could be turned into a powerful weapon for either side of the war was exciting and scary at the same time.

Hermione sighed and put her book aside. "I don't know Harry. I think at this point it could really be anyone– well, maybe not anyone. From what we learned, the Open Link is most likely still a virgin, as the link seemed to close as soon as you… you know." She looked at her friends with pink cheeks and they nodded at her awkwardly. "And that definitely rules some people out."

The boys nodded awkwardly at her. "Are you still, I mean…" Harry looked at his friends with his cheeks completely red in embarrassment.

Ron snorted. "'Course I am, I would have told you if something that exciting happened to me, mate," he said, and clapped Harry on the back. Then the boy's eyes turned towards her. "And you?" Harry asked, and seemed to hold his breath.

Hermione sighed. "What do you think, Harry? Of course I am. I might be a year older than you, but that doesn't mean that I…"

He held his hand up in defence. "Alright, alright. I didn't want to imply anything, Hermione. I just wondered, because of you and Krum last year…"

She sighed. "Viktor and I are just friends Harry, nothing happened— well, not much…" she said, but Ron looked at her with wide eyes.

"Not much? What's that supposed to mean?"

"That is really none of your business, Ronald," Hermione said sourly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "What happened between Viktor and me is supposed to stay just there, between me and him."

Ron huffed annoyedly, but he let the topic go. Instead, he turned towards Harry and said: "Do you think it could be one of us? I mean, it's possible right?"

Harry nodded with a frown. "I thought so, too. I mean, we seem to be the right age… just on the brink of adulthood. And as we are all still… you know…" he closed his mouth awkwardly.

"Well, I guess it's possible. But I mean, did you feel any different in the last weeks? Professor Umbridge said there would be some kind of… emotionality involved. Have you felt something like that?"

Harry nodded darkly. "I've felt kind of strange recently… like always on edge. I feel like I'm angry a lot, like something is simmering, just below the surface. Does that make any sense? Do you think that could be it?"

Hermione sighed. "It could be, but I don't know. If you like, I could try to find more information in the library. Not, that I don't trust the Professor, but she's working for the Ministry, right? What if she's only telling us what they want us to know? I imagine Fudge would be interested to have an OL supporting him."

Her friends nodded with wide eyes. "You're right, Hermione," Harry admitted, seeming even more unsettled. "It would totally make sense if they tell us just enough to make us afraid and run into their arms. We should definitely be careful."

They all nodded together, and just as Hermione thought the topic was closed, Harry said grimly: "With the luck I have, it'll be me." And Hermione couldn't help but agree with him. It would definitely fit the picture.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 04: Hard evidence

Within a matter of hours, this despicable ministry witch had managed to transform the whole castle into a madhouse. Everyone was talking about the Open Link, if Severus had thought his task impossible before, it was even more so now. It would have been much easier to watch these moody teenagers under natural circumstances but now that they were all in a frenzy, it was totally impossible to detect who was falling out of line, because in a way, they all were. Suddenly half of the castle felt encouraged to follow their urges, indulging in heavy snogging sessions in various broom closets or the middle of the hallways. Severus Snape could only look at those idiots in disgust. Did none of them understand what it would mean to be discovered as the Open Link? Those dunderheads seemed under the impression that it was all about being special and desired but actually all they would be, was used. There was no saying what would happen if the Dark Lord ever got them into his spidery fingers. That was a fate he didn't wish on his worst enemy and definitely not on an unsuspecting teenager.

That left the question: What fate did he wish for the Open Link? What would he do, if he finally found him or her? Should he try to win the person for himself? Could he even win somebody's affection or admiration in the first place? What was the alternative? He knew the Dark Lord was not the only one after the Open Link, the Headmaster and the Ministry had also cast nets to catch the unlucky bastard. And Severus Snape would bet his strong hand, that they were not the only ones out for prey.

ssssssss

Hermione was not in a good mood. She had spent every free minute of her day trying to procure a book that would help them learn more about the Open Link. By closing time she had to admit that either all books were already checked out or that there was no such book in the Hogwarts Library to begin with. This meant they were lacking unbiased information leaving them vulnerable to any falsehoods or half-truths the Ministry decided to spout. It was a situation she didn't like at all.

"There's really nothing?" Harry mumbled as soon as they had retreated into their corner of the common room.

"Nothing. There's not a single book Harry" Hermione admitted in defeat "and believe me, I was thorough."

"Crap," Ron mumbled and pulled his legs up to his chest. "But there needs to be something we can do, right Mione?"

She sighed. "I don't know Ron. Maybe we should give things a bit more time. I mean, Professor Umbridge told us how to recognize an Open Link in us. If there is some sort of … yearning or emotional uproar, then we'll realize it sooner or later, don't you think?"

He shrugged nonchalantly and stared at his knees not saying anything in return. So Harry took the chance and asked: "How did the Ministry even realize that there's something like an Open Link? Is there maybe some sort of artifact that can detect these sorts of anomalies? I mean, they are also somehow monitoring the trace in us. What if it is something similar?"

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip and contemplated this. "That's a very good question, Harry. Isn't that something your dad might know about Ron? I mean, he works at the Ministry, maybe not in the right department, but nonetheless…"

Her friend shrugged again. "Dunno, but I guess it's worth a try. I could write to my parents and ask them if you want. I mean, the Weasleys are an old pureblood family, so maybe they do know something about it."

"That would be great!" Hermione exclaimed and before she realized what she was doing, she threw her arms around his middle and hugged him fiercely. It was only a moment later that she contemplated her actions as she saw Ron staring down at her with wide eyes.

"Yeah, uh…" he mumbled and Hermione could feel him stiffen next to her. She immediately let go but stared at him with furrowed brows refraining from commenting on his awkward behaviour. "I'll just go upstairs and write a letter to them, shall I?" Ron said quickly and a moment later he leapt from his spot on the floor. "See you tomorrow Mione, Harry." He waved at them with an awkward smile and a moment later he was gone.

Hermione and Harry stared at each other with wide eyes. "What was that?" she asked, blinking in confusion but Harry just shrugged helplessly.

"Honestly? I have no idea."

ssssssss

Ron Weasley had already been suspicious of these new feelings blooming in him for quite some time but all it took was a hug from Hermione and he finally realized that he was, in fact, the Open Link. He had barely made it out of the room before his emotions caught up with him and he threw himself on the bed, heart beating wildly in his chest. There was also another, very unmistakable physical evidence of his growing feelings and wild emotions and he just hoped that Hermione hadn't realized what had just happened to… him. She was just Hermione for Merlin's sake, good old Hermione and she must have hugged him a dozen times before. Why was he suddenly feeling attracted to her like this? He knew the answer of course, it was the Open Link in his magic looking for a suitable partner to attach him to. In a way, this came as a relief because honestly, it would have been kind of unsettling if he suddenly developed feelings for one of his best mates. No, Hermione was still nothing more than one of his best friends. He would just have to reign in his marauding feelings a bit while in her presence. There were plenty of witches that would be happy to be attached to him, which gave him enough choice to find a suitable partner. This just left the question if he should tell his friends of his new discovery. Would they even believe him? He was only ordinary, boring Ron Weasley after all. Never in his life, he had been anything special, not until now.

No, he decided, he would wait and see how these growing powers evolved. Then, when he had collected enough evidence that he was, in fact, the chosen one, he would tell them. Harry and Hermione would have no other possibility then to acknowledge that he, Ron Weasley, was indeed special.

Now that he finally knew what he was looking for, he easily detected the chaotic feelings within him. He didn't even make it halfway through breakfast the next morning before his eyes caught sight of a sweet blonde Hufflepuff girl who he hadn't even taken notice of until now. But suddenly he felt a pull in his chest again and he had to force himself to stay seated and remain outwardly calm. Inwardly he was burning and under his voluminous school robes there was the ever-growing evidence of his newly awakened emotions. This realisation scared and excited him at the same time. If Hermione was right, which she usually was, then not only the ministry but also You-Know-Who himself would be on his heels. He really needed to prepare himself for that, maybe it was time to pay a bit more attention in class. It would be the best possibility to test his new awakened powers too.

"Today you will learn the Nox Maxima spell," Professor Flitwick announced in his usual squeaky voice. "As the name says, it is the opposite of Lumos Maxima and will enable you to darken a whole room or even a larger area, if you are powerful enough. Combined with a night-vision spell, which we will learn soon after, it is a valuable skill to have in a fight, this much I can promise you." The small Professor looked at them with a good-natured expression. "The spell is quite difficult to master but it is definitely worth the effort."

Ron agreed. This was his chance to learn a spell that would help him defend himself. He had no doubts that his newly awakened magical powers would help him master the spell. For him, it was just a matter of getting all the instructions and he made damn sure he did. He was promptly rewarded.

"Mr. Weasley! Very good!" Flitwick praised him as he covered the room in darkness on his first attempt of the spell. He couldn't see the reactions of the students surrounding him but he imagined that Hermione was gaping at him with an open mouth. "That was quite an extraordinary feat of magic, Mr Weasley. Ten points to Gryffindor," Professor Flitwick said with a wide smile after canceling Ron's spell. Ron looked onto the room with his chest puffed in pride. The spell practice continued soon after. Hermione was only able to master the spell on her third attempt and even though that earned her five house-points, Ron had proven once more that he was indeed the chosen one.

ssssssssss

"Look who's here, our new favourite Prefect," Fred said loudly as the small figure of Hermione Granger appeared in front of them in the hallway. Their first days of school had indeed been unexpectedly exciting with all the talk about the Open Link. The place had been in a delightful amount of chaos without them putting any effort into it. In a way, it was kind of like being on holiday.

Hermione stopped in her tracks and turned towards them. "Fred, George," she said neutrally and nodded as a greeting. But Fred could help but get the impression, that she seemed kind of distracted.

"How is our little brother treating you?" George asked and casually slung an arm around her shoulder. "I bet you're seeing even more of him now that you're both on prefect-duty."

"We're not doing any patrols together, so I'm not actually seeing him that much more often," Hermione answered matter-of-factly and started walking again. Fred nodded with a grin and fell into step with her and his twin. "And even so I don't know what you're implying."

The stiffening of her posture showed that she was lying and Fred said: "Well, it seems like our little Ronnekins has discovered the joys of manhood."

George snorted. "Yeah, he's been behaving rather strangely lately. Thought you'd noticed."

The witch in their middle sighed. "He's behaved like this ever since our first day of school. I'm not exactly sure what's wrong with him, but he's kind of been avoiding being alone with me ever since and when he talks to me he seems kind of… stiff."

"In more ways than one I imagine," George whispered through their twin link and Fred couldn't suppress the wide grin that spread on his face.

"Don't worry Hermione, I'm sure it's just a phase," Fred said and smiled encouragingly. "He'll come around. Boys can be like that sometimes but it's nothing to be worried about."

Their friend hummed thoughtfully and after a moment she nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Not that I have any experience in that department." At that, her cheeks blushed prettily and Fred grinned.

"Of course we're right, you'll see," he said and winked at her. The smile that bloomed on her face at his words made his heart do an excited little jump in his chest. How very curious.

ssssssss

Hermione really needed to get a grip on her feelings and soon. Ever since that fateful day at the pool, her head had been going crazy with thoughts that had nothing to do with schoolwork. Fred and George drifted in her mind at least once during each of her lessons, no matter if it was Transfiguration or History of Magic. Her mind replayed every encounter she'd had with them over the past weeks and meeting them in the corridor while having George's arm draped around her shoulders hadn't helped matters – at all. It was just so humiliating having all these feelings when she didn't want them at all.

Her mum was probably right that she was a late bloomer but as it seemed her body had finally decided to enter puberty and had dove right in. Suddenly she understood why Lavender and the other girls had been so insufferable over the last years. If they had been on this rollercoaster of feelings for the last years, then Hermione felt really sorry for them. She felt like she was slowly going mad after only a few weeks of these feelings and she really didn't want to imagine what would happen to her if things got even worse.

"Today we are going to brew the Draught of Insight," Snape stated in his deep baritone from the front of the classroom snapping Hermione out of her thoughts. "Can anyone of you tell me what it is used for?"

Hermione knew the answer of course, as she had thoroughly prepared herself for all of her lessons today. She raised her hand, as usual, and as usual, she was ignored by the sour-looking man in front of her. She closed her eyes in annoyance and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"As usual you don't come prepared for your lessons. This talk of the Open Link seems to have gone to your heads even more than last year's excitement. How very disappointing." Professor Snape sighed before he finally fixed her with his eyes. "Miss Granger? Tell these dunderheads what you so eagerly memorized from the book, but in your own words, if you please."

Hermione nodded. "The Draught of Insight can be taken to find the answer to one's most pressing question. The answer, however, must be buried within the person itself, as the potion can only provide insight and not sight or wisdom in general."

The Professor nodded with a sigh before he started to walk through the classroom. "Good enough. In former days the Draught of Insight was also called the self-discovery potion as it was usually taken by people who were confused by their feelings. As a similar confusion seems to have befallen this school" Snape wrinkled his nose as if there was a bad smell in the air "I thought it appropriate to provide you with the means to give you the answer, some of you so desperately seem to seek."

At that, excited whispers broke out in class and Hermione felt a flutter of excitement herself. This potion could indeed be what she, Ron and Harry needed to find out if any one of them was, in fact, the Open Link.

"The instructions for the potion can be found in your books on page 13. I strongly recommend reading them very carefully as already minor mistakes can lead to quite unpleasant consequences." At that Snape paused in front of Neville's table and looked at the mortified boy with a dark expression. "Those of you, who find their potion adequate enough, will be allowed to try it at the end of class – at their own risk of course." Hermione couldn't help but note the unpleasant smile that graced his lips at those words. She was pretty sure that not many of them would be able to brew an adequate potion but it was totally like Snape to rub that fact in their faces. "You may begin."

Immediately the room leapt into action and Hermione could see that almost everyone started to read the instructions in the book with the utmost concentration. Well, Snape certainly knew how to motivate his students that much at least was certain.

sssssssss

The plan was simple enough, Severus thought, as he watched the dunderheads attempt to brew an actually drinkable version of the potion he had assigned. He was sure that only a few of them would be able to produce something adequate during the lesson, but with a bit of luck at least the Granger girl and some others would be among them. He had no doubts that the nosy Know-it-all would do anything in her power to prove her superiority to him and to the rest of the class and if things went according to plan, some others would achieve the same result.

All he would need was a bit of low-key Occlumancy to scan some of those kids and if fate smiled down at him, he would find his answer concerning the Open Link. Even if this part of the plan didn't work, the school would still hopefully have a few less agitated and over-reacting teenagers. Only one of them could be the Open Link and every student who realized that it was not them, was a blessing for Severus' poor nerves. Wasn't that actually a reason to teach this potion in all of his classes this week?

sssssssss

Hermione could feel Professor Snape's eyes on her during the lesson. It was quite common that the man kept a close eye on all of his students as Potions was one of their more dangerous school subjects and mistakes could be made very easily. Still, Hermione felt like he was watching her more carefully than usual and she couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling that spread in her belly at the realization. From their time at Grimmauld Place, she knew that the man was working as a spy for the Order, and even if Hermione trusted Dumbledore and his judgement, she couldn't help but ask herself why he had chosen this exact potion for today's assignment. Hermione read through the year's curriculum and therefore knew that the Draught of Insight would have only been due in the second half of the term. Was it only to provide to them as a means to find an answer for themselves? Or was there more behind it? Severus Snape was a Slytherin at heart and she could very well imagine that he wasn't simply trying to be nice or helpful towards them but had an ulterior motive. It wasn't like the man could read her thoughts, right?

The minutes flew by and Hermione banished her musings to the back of her head. She would need all her concentration to finish this challenging potion and achieve the desired result. Yet every time she looked up, she could see the dark eyes of Professor Snape resting on her making the uneasy feeling in her stomach grow. Why was he looking at her like that? Did she do something? Maybe it was her slicing technique or did she accidentally stir the potion into the wrong direction? No, she couldn't lose her nerve just now. Just half an hour more and then she'd take the time to think about her possible mistakes.

"Alright, time is up," Professor Snape called and Hermione sank back in her chair with a relieved sigh. Her potion was perfect, she was almost sure of it, which gave her the chance to finally relax.

"Bottle your potions up and put them on my desk. Those of you who are willing to try their own creation may line up in front of the class."

Hermione thought for a moment before she grabbed two small phials and bottled the potion carefully. From the corner of her eye, she could see several students trailing towards Professor Snape's desk to hand in their potions. Just as she was about to get up, her eyes landed on Ron and his definitely ruined potion.

"Mione? Could you… would you… would you give me your potion to test it for you? I don't want to hand it in with Snape, I don't mind getting a bad grade. But in the last days I just had this … feeling… and I need to know."

He looked at her with his huge, blue puppy eyes and Hermione couldn't help but sigh. She had actually planned on using the potion for herself but Ron was her friend and he clearly looked desperate.

"I… alright, you can have it," she said with a sigh and handed one of her vials over to him as inconspicuously as possible. Then she quickly marched to Snape's desk and handed him the other one with a neutral expression.

"Miss Granger, I assumed that you were one of the students willing to sample your potion. But I see you've only brought one phial of your potion." He looked at her with dark contemplating eyes but Hermione willed her expression to stay as calm as possible.

"No thank you, Professor. There's no particular question on my mind at the moment, so it would be totally wasted on me." She put on a smile and after the man stared at her for another moment, she turned around and went back to her seat. In the meantime, a short row of five students had formed in the front of the classroom. Besides Ron also Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott and Parvati Patil had decided to test their potions and Hermione watched with a heavy heart as one after the other nodded and downed the contents of their phials. Apart from a grimace on everybody but Malfoy's face and a moment of trance afterwards there was not much to see. The Slytherin's expressions stayed totally neutral when their eyes lost their glassy look, but Parvati sighed and sniffed dramatically as she made her way back to her seat. Ron looked … contemplative but for once Hermione really couldn't tell what he was thinking which made her more uncomfortable than she wanted to admit.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Friends and allies

Fred and George had their first lesson in defence on Wednesday. Even though they had only chosen a handful of NEWT classes, it was out of the question that they wouldn't sign up for another year of DAAD, as it was one of the topics they could actually use in the future. Now that the class would be taught by the Headmaster himself, they were even more grateful for their decision. George had always known that the man was a skilled wizard but apart from that, he was also a brilliant teacher. Dumbledore seemed to have an eye for their weaknesses and strengths and paired them up in a way that made training duels exciting but not frustrating to any of them. He showed them many interesting spells that weren't only extremely useful, but relatively easy to cast. George was excited in a way he had never been for a school subject before and he had the strong intention to use class time for learning as much as he could. One day his life might depend on it and that was a good enough reason for him to actually make an effort for once.

"Mess'rs Weasley?" He and Fred were just about to leave the classroom after the lesson was finished when the Headmaster's voice called after them. "Would you mind staying behind for a moment? I'd like to have a word if you don't mind."

George looked at his brother with raised brows, but Fred just shrugged unconcernedly and turned around. "What can we do for you, Headmaster? If this is about the rumours circulating about…"

But the old man silenced them with a raise of his hand. "No, no, nothing like that, though I am sure that those rumours are pretty entertaining, … In fact, I would like to ask you for a small favour." Dumbledore smiled at them and gesturing towards a set of chairs that appeared in front of his teacher's desk. "But we should probably sit down for that bit of conversation. Lemon Drop?" Like on command a little bowl with Lemon Drops appeared on the desk and with a shrug Fred and George sat down and each popped one of the delicious sweets into their mouth. The Headmaster looked at them with pleased, twinkling eyes and sat down behind a desk. A moment later he raised his wand and George felt heavy wards snap into place. Curious.

"It has come to my attention that the two of you applied to join the Order," Dumbledore finally said watching them with attentive blue eyes. "Usually these kinds of applications are postponed until after graduation but I am willing to make an exception in your case."

Fred and George looked at each other with wide smiles. "Brilliant!" they said beaming at the man in front of them.

"Ah, the enthusiasm of youth," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. " maybe this is exactly what we need."

George nodded but didn't interrupt the wizard. And so the old man just took a Lemon Drop for himself and said, "I have heard that the two of you have earned yourself somewhat of a reputation amongst your school mates. Most of the students seem to like you or at least respect your skills, which puts you in the optimal position to be the Order's eyes and ears in the castle. I am sure you've realized that the Ministry is highly interested in finding the Open Link among your peers. Minister Fudge is already counting his blessings and sees it as a given that he will soon have the Open Link at his disposal. But, as you might imagine he is not the only one."

George knew what the Headmaster was saying and by the feeling of it, Fred did too. "What exactly is it you want us to do?" His brother asked nonchalantly, hands folded behind his head. The Headmaster cast him a grandfatherly smile.

"I hope that you will agree to look out for the Open Link. We need to find him or her, before the Ministry or Voldemort's lackey's do."

George nodded. It did make sense. "What will you do if we find the person?"

"Well, that strongly depends on who it is and whether they would be willing to cooperate with the Order, don't you think?" the Headmaster replied. "Yeah, that makes sense," he admitted and looked at Fred thoughtfully. "What do you think Freddy?"

His brother shrugged with a crooked grin. "I think we can definitely do better than our new School Counsellor. But it would probably help to have as much information on the poor sod's condition as we can get. What exactly should we be looking out for?"

The Headmaster regarded them with blue, twinkling eyes and a pleased smile. And then, he told them.

ssssssssss

Hermione didn't get the chance to speak to Ron for the rest of the day. Potions had been their last class of the day and after that her friend seemed to have mysteriously disappeared. He probably needed some time to digest whatever the potion had shown him, Hermione thought, and after a moment of hesitation she decided not to look for him. If he really was the Open Link, she was sure he'd let her know soon enough.

"Fred? George? Are you alright?" Hermione asked as soon as she saw the two redheads lounging in the corridor. Both of them had unfastened their ties and looked at the passing students with something like vigilance. "Are you looking for somebody?"

Ron's brothers immediately snapped out of their staring and looked at her with a smile plastered on their faces. "Oi, Hermione. What's up with your classmates? They seem even more agitated than normal recently and that's really saying something." Fred grinned crookedly and Hermione couldn't help but sigh.

"Snape had us brew the Draught of Insight," she said and studied their reaction. The twins just looked at her mutely and waited for her to continue. "It's supposed to give you the answer to a question if the answer can be found in yourself."

George shrugged. "I remember the potion. We brewed it late in our fifth year I think."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, you see? The potion can provide the answer, if one is, for example, the Open Link everybody is on the lookout for. At the end of the lesson, Snape even gave us the option to sample our own potion, if we trusted our skills enough."

For a moment neither of the twins said a word, just blinking at her. Finally, a wide smile spread on their faces.

"And? Did you try yours?" Fred asked and put his arm amicably around her shoulder. She felt her pulse rise.

"I… no… I actually gave my potion to Ron. He asked me for it, you know? He's been quite strange in the last days as you know and he… he just seemed so desperate... I simply couldn't say no."

Both redheads nodded in unison looking at her with brown eyes that were full of understanding. Hermione was sure her heart missed a beat at the sight. What would happen if she just leaned over to George and… Merlin! She really had to get a grip on herself.

"Well, that definitely explains why everybody seems so agitated. What happened? Any insights worth sharing?"

She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. The Slytherins were totally poker-faced and Parvati seemed kind of upset. As for Ron… he simply disappeared on me, which is kind of annoying, to be honest. But maybe he needs to sort things out first, who knows?"

Fred snorted. "I'm sure he's alright, don't worry. He's lucky to have a friend like you, you know?"

Hermione looked at him in confusion. "Errr… thank you?"

George smiled and tapped her nose with his index finger. "Don't look so surprised, it's true. Maybe he doesn't realize how often you saved his sorry arse, and not only when it comes to homework, but we do. You're brilliant Hermione, brilliant and loyal and we're happy you're keeping an eye on him."

She smiled shyly at them. "I hope you realise that I am your friend, too. We might not be as close as I am with Harry or Ron, but if there's anything you need my help with, don't hesitate to ask." Hermione felt her cheeks go pink at these words and she hastily stepped away from Fred. "Sorry, I'm sure this sounded totally stupid. I should probably…"

But she didn't get any further as George simply pulled her close and kissed her on the cheek. "Nonsense, Hermione. I'm happy to call you my friend. And if you ever need our expertise," he grinned at her boyishly. "then we're at your service." Fred continued for his brother and bowed.

Hermione blinked at the both of them with wide eyes and for a moment she was completely dumbfounded. "Uh… thank you… that's..."

The twins grinned before stepping away from her. "It's the least we can do." Fred winked at her. "But we must be off now. See you later Hermione!"

"Yeah," Hermione said weakly and waved her hand. But just when they were out of sight, her hand stilled and touched her cheek instead. And she could have sworn her skin still prickled where George's lips had kissed her.

sssssssss

Dolores Umbridge was not in a good mood when she reached her new Office right next to the classrooms provided for her weekly lessons with the Hogwarts students. She had decorated the place tastefully in light pink and beige, which were her favourite colours since she was a little girl, and a variety of decorated plates she had selected from the huge collection she had at home. Collecting porcelain plates decorated with enchanted cats was the only hobby that had survived her transition into adulthood. Despite having to give up most of her favourite leisure activities when she started working for the Minister full time, she never regretted the decision to start working for the man. Cornelius Fudge was a man to be admired, he had goals and ambition and the guts to do whatever necessary to achieve them. Ever since being sorted into Hufflepuff as a little girl Dolores had been bullied for her sturdy state and pension for colourful hair attire. Nevertheless she had been determined to one day be just like the minister, unflinching in her efforts to achieve her goals. One day she would rise above all others and then she would be the one making the rules and nobody would be in a position to make fun of her and her love of cats again.

Now that she had an important position at Hogwarts her goal was closer than ever before. Dolores had been more than happy when the Minister asked her to be his eyes and ears in the prestigious school and he had been pleased with her willingness to be of service to him again. She had promised the Minister results soon because how difficult could it be to find one particularly emotional teenager in a school? This Open Link would certainly display some outward signs or extreme reactions sooner or later because Dolores knew that the urge to connect to someone would only grow with time. All she had to do was wait and watch and the answer would present itself in time - only those insufferable teenagers kept acting out and doing disgusting things to each other in the middle of the hallways. She couldn't understand how the Headmaster and the other Hogwarts staff failed to bring order back to the castle because the things she witnessed there were simply unmentionable. It wasn't only that in the midst of this randy behaviour finding the OL would be nearly impossible, but there was also a huge risk that said person would involve themselves with somebody and form a connection that was irreversible effectively sabotaging the plans the Minister had so carefully made. That simply must not happen, Dolores decided, therefore she had to react soon. She had to gain control over the castle and its inhabitants otherwise, all her carefully laid out plans would go to waste. But that was simply not an option. She had to write to the Minister, immediately. Even then it remained to be seen if she could get those brazen brats under control. She was Dolores Umbridge after all, the person Cornelius Fudge trusted more than anyone, and there wasn't much she wouldn't do to avoid disappointing the Minister of Magic.

sssssssss

The next day found Hermione grumpy and tired. Her night hadn't been restful at all. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she had started going over her last encounter with the Weasley twins in agonizing detail and by now he was sure she could recall every small detail of each of the redhead's faces. Why was she so suddenly obsessed with them? Her mother had warned her that entering puberty would mean a lot of pining and heartbreak. What she hadn't been prepared for was the ridiculousness of it all. It was one thing to pine after a certain boy, but having a crush on two boys at the same time? What was wrong with her? It was like her body couldn't tell them apart, which was ridiculous. Hermione could always tell them apart, even when she had been a first year. So that couldn't be it. No matter what it was, she couldn't go on like this. Hermione absolutely refused to make an idiot out of herself and fall victim to her over-excited hormones. Fred and George Weasley were not an option as a boyfriend, not if she couldn't even decide between the two of them. Merlin, what would Ron say when he heard about her stupid crush? She shuddered. This thought alone was enough to ban all thoughts of possible romantic entanglement with the Weasleys to the back of her head. Now Hermione could only hope that they would stay just there.

She went through all her classes like on autopilot. It wasn't like her eyes wanted to fall closed, but it was definitely hard for her to get excited about any particular subject at all. Usually, she raised her hand in class as much as possible, but today she simply could not find enough energy to do it. She quietly took some notes and tried the spells that were shown to them, but that was it. She could tell her teachers had noticed as much.

When evening finally rolled around, she was ready to hide in her bed and not crawl out until morning, but when she entered the common room Ron and Harry were already waiting for her.

"Hermione, there you are!" Ron said and shuffled his feet. "Can we talk – the three of us I mean?"

Hermione sighed tiredly before plastering a smile on her face. "Sure. Should we sit down on one of the sofas?"

Ron shook his head and started moving towards the portrait hole. "No, not here. Let's find an empty classroom or something. I'd really don't fancy this discussion being overheard."

Hermione looked at the boys with furrowed brows. Harry just shrugged and followed his red-haired friend and after a moment of hesitation, she did the same.

"Alright boys," Hermione said as soon as they had found an empty classroom on the fifth floor. "Can you tell me now, what is this all about?" she realized how grumpy and tired her voice sounded, luckily the boys didn't seem to mind.

"It's about the Open Link," Ron said and sat down on one of the tables. There he dangled his feet and looked at them with an uneasy expression. Hermione nodded and decided to lean against the table in front of him where she waited patiently for him to continue his story. Harry, who watched the two of them for a moment, decided to sit down next to his redheaded friend on the table.

"The Open Link?" he asked and looked at his friend with an excited smile. "Did you find out who it is? Or… Merlin… is it you?"

Ron studied their faces with a careful expression before he sighed and said: "I thought it was me, but obviously I was wrong. You know, the past days have been so strange, suddenly all my feelings were so intense and I felt this pull towards… well… towards several girls actually. It's like I didn't have control over my feelings any longer and so I thought…" He lowered his head with another sigh and never before in her life had Hermione understood him so completely. Because what her friend had just described sounded like the exact same problem she was experiencing herself.

"You thought you were the OL," she finished his sentence looking at his bowed figure with empathy.

"Yeah. It wasn't just these sudden feelings," Ron explained further " I also seemed to be more skilled at spell-casting all of a sudden. Do you remember Flitwick's lesson on Nox Maxima? I was the first one to master the spell and that has never happened before."

"Huh," Harry said and looked at his friend with furrowed brows. "That's strange indeed. But it's not you?"

Ron shook his head. "No, at least that's what Hermione's potion said. You're sure you did it right Hermione?"

For a moment she wanted to be offended, but that really wouldn't have been fair. "Yeah, I'm sure Ron. The recipe was pretty straight forward and therefore easy enough to make. But, we could wait until we get our grades in the next Potions lesson if you want to be sure."

The boy shrugged. "No, I guess it's alright. It's just… I really thought that I was finally something special. My whole life I've just been stupid, poor Ronald Weasley and it's just… suddenly I felt special like I had all these powers inside me… but now I don't." He hung his head and Hermione felt really sorry for him.

"Ron…" she said before stepping closer and putting her hand on his shoulder. "But you are special, don't you see? Even if you are not the Open Link, you still managed that spell with Flitwick, not because you have special powers, but because you finally believed in yourself and actually made an effort. It's what I told you all along. If you just try and believe in yourself, you'll find you are far more capable than you give yourself credit for."

Ron looked up at her with wide eyes, before he blinked a few times and said: "You think I'm brilliant? Really?"

She huffed before she stepped closer and pulled him into a hug. "Absolutely. And it's time for you to think that, too." Ron nodded with his head on her shoulder and after a moment of stiffness, he finally relaxed into her embrace. They stayed like this for a moment and when she finally pulled back, Ron looked at her with red ears.

"But, what about those awkward feelings I have all the time? It's really confusing, you know? I mean, from time to time I even started to fancy you, Hermione, can you imagine?" Harry looked at both of them with wide eyes and for a moment, she just stared at the boys in total speechlessness. But finally, she huffed and said, "Well Ronald, I don't understand why that seems so ridiculous to you. Last year you realized that I am a girl after all." She knew that her tone sounded sour and probably hurt, but she really couldn't help but be offended at his words. Ron just stared at her with furrowed brows, like he was trying to solve an exceptionally difficult puzzle.

"Why are you suddenly angry Hermione? I mean Merlin, don't you see how weird that would be? Dating you would almost be like I was trying to date Ginny. You're like a sister to me!"

For a moment she just looked at him in stunned silence, before all her anger suddenly deflated. "Yeah, you're probably right. We are kind of like siblings, aren't we?" She looked at Ron and Harry with raised eyebrows and both of them nodded looking somewhat relieved. "Well, maybe these feelings you're starting to have are just puberty, Ron. It also has been happening to me lately… like a lot. It's totally weird and absolutely annoying."

This was probably the wrong thing to have said because both of the boys suddenly looked at her with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. Ron even opened and closed his mouth like a fish several times, before he cleared his throat and said hoarsely: "Really? You… you… huh. Well, maybe it's really just a normal thing for somebody our age. It's just… these feelings sometimes are a bit much, you know?"

Hermione snorted before she nodded with a smile. "Oh, believe me, I know."

sssssssss


	6. Chapter 6

A.N.: I finally found a new beta for this story. I am so happy. Now I could finally update this chapter, thanks to my friend Multilingualism.

Chapter 6: Brotherly Competition

It wasn't long until Quidditch tryouts for the term started and with Oliver Wood gone, Angelina Johnson had taken over as captain of their Quidditch team. Fred didn't mind at all as Angelina was a very skilled chaser and had the temperament and determination for the job. No longer having Wood as a keeper though was a blow he wasn't sure their team would be able to easily overcome. Because the candidates that presented themselves for the job were… not what Fred would have wished for. There were Vicky Frobisher, who was an overachiever in class, but only mediocre in Quidditch and Geoffrey Hooper who was a sissy. Well and then there was Ron… Fred knew his brother's flying skills as they had played with him often enough. He was a passable keeper to be fair, but his temperament was in constant shift and it wasn't rare that the boy stood in his own way. And that really wasn't something they could use during a challenging match when there was a lot of pressure on them.

Fred looked down the breakfast table and there Ron was, sitting next to his two best friends. Hermione finally seemed in a better mood than during the last days. The dark circles under her eyes were no longer as prominent as they had been during the last week and the smile had apparently found its way back on her face.

"You'll be fine, Ron, don't worry," the little witch just said and patted his brother's arm. And even though Fred could feel the nervousness radiating from his brother, he also felt an unexplainable twitch at the observation.

"Yeah, mate. You're a good keeper," Harry encouraged his friend and clapped his back. "I know you can do it, just don't lose your nerve."

Fred saw his little brother snort. "That's easier said than done. I'm not nearly as good as Wood was, there's no use telling me otherwise."

At that, Hermione huffed before she said in a low voice: "Stop comparing yourself to others, Ron. It doesn't matter what a keeper Oliver Wood was. Even if he was good, Ron, you need to remember how much you can do, when you simply believe in yourself. Remember what I told you a few days ago, you're special, even without… well, you know."

"Special, huh?" Fred thought and snapped his attention back to his own breakfast and his classmates surrounding him. Well, it was only a matter of time before Ron and Hermione got things going and by the sound of it, they had finally realized what he and George had expected all along. So why was he suddenly feeling so grumpy now? It wasn't like he had wanted the witch for himself, right? And if Hermione kept his brother happy enough to not lose his nerves during a game of Quidditch then that was really all that he could have hoped for. With that realization, he pushed his half-full plate away and got up from his seat. Breakfast wasn't over yet, but Fred would use the spare time to get changed into his Quidditch gear and fly some rounds to get warmed up. His hunger had somehow disappeared anyway and he really felt like he could use some more fresh air. These rooms were getting more and more stifling by the day.

sssssssss

"What's wrong Freddy?" George asked his brother as they were just heading back from another round of Quidditch practice. Their little brother had really made it into the team and even though George had been sceptical at first, Ron was doing rather well. Yes, he wasn't an Oliver Wood, but Ron was at least as good as the keepers the other teams had, if not better. And that was more than they could have hoped for. But that made Fred's behaviour in the last days even stranger. Ever since the day of Quidditch tryouts, his twin was in some kind of mood and that wasn't typical for him at all.

"Nothing's wrong," Fred grumbled in return and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his robes. "I'm just thinking, that's all."

George wasn't buying it but he knew better than to point this out to his twin. "Thinking about what?" he asked instead.

Fred didn't answer him for a few seconds but kept striding back to the castle at a pace that George could barely keep up with, without breaking out into a slow run. If there had been any question that his twin was agitated, which was not the case as Fred's feelings of confusion kept bleeding through the twin-bond then the answer was clear now. George kept pace with him for a while, until he grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him into an abrupt halt. "Stop it, Fred, just talk to me," he said and looked at his twin with pleading eyes. And finally, Fred turned around to him and looked at him with a huff. "It's about Ron," he finally admitted while using his foot to play with the grass in front of him. "He and Hermione are obviously an item now."

George looked at his brother with furrowed brows. Slowly it dawned him what had gotten him so riled up. "And that bothers you? How did you get the idea anyway? Did you catch them snogging or did Ronnie brag in front of you?"

Fred huffed and kicked into the ground. "No, nothing like that. I overheard them during breakfast one morning. Hermione went on about how special Ron was. Kind of made me lose my appetite."

George sighed. "Well, that will make things a bit complicated, indeed. I didn't expect you had a thing for her, too."

Fred looked at him with widened eyes. "What do you mean with… don't tell me… Merlin, George, you too?"

He shrugged and grinned helplessly. "It's kind of a recent thing and maybe it will go away after a while. It's just that she constantly seems to be on my mind and…"

"Yeah," Fred agreed and nodded miserably. "I know the feeling."

They stared at each other for a long while and even though none of them said a word, they could feel the other ones feeling seeping through the twin-bond. It was kind of a reassuring feeling to know that Fred didn't seem to be mad at him but seemed to understand his feelings.

"Well, Georgie, what do you want to do now?" Fred finally said and looked at him with a lost expression. George sighed and cast him a smile that could only be understood between the two of them.

"Well Freddie, first of all, we are going to find out if Ronnekins really got so lucky and secured our girl. If he did, I'm pretty sure he'll muck it up sooner or later. It's like he can't help it being a self-centred prick or something."

Fred nodded contemplatively. "And if he didn't get the girl? What then? Because I really don't fancy a fight between us."

George sighed. "I guess each of us will just do his best and if we're lucky she decides for one of us. Let's just agree that the other one doesn't get cross afterwards. I don't want this thing standing between us."

"Me neither," Fred agreed and clasped his arm. For a moment they just looked in each other's eyes and let the feelings of reassurance and understanding seep back and forth through the bond. Only after George got the feeling that there wasn't anything left between them to say and feel he pulled away with a smile.

"Well, Freddy. Shall we try to find our little brother? I feel like we should have a brotherly talk to him."

Fred grinned. "Absolutely George, absolutely."

ssssssssss

They found their little brother in the Gryffindor common room where he had obviously convinced Harry to play a game of wizard chess with him. Ron was winning, of course, but Harry didn't seem to mind – much. Hermione had retreated into one of the plush armchairs at the fire, where she hid behind her Transfiguration class book and seemed completely oblivious to the stuff going on around her – perfect.

"Oi, Ron, Harry," Fred greeted the two friends casually and stepped closer like he wanted to inspect the chessboard in front of them. Harry's king was in quite a precarious situation and George gave him two more rounds until he went checkmate. "Mind if we join you for a bit? We heard this juicy bit of gossip concerning our little brother here and it's just too good to not tease him about it."

Ron's head immediately snapped up. "Gossip? Concerning me?" He looked at them with an alarmed expression. "If this is about this Open-Link business then you can sod off right away. It's not me." George looked at him with a raised brow. That was indeed an interesting bit of information and therefore another person they could cross off their list of potential candidates. They had been able to narrow their search down to 39 people already, which they were actually quite proud of. It really wasn't easy to snoop out that kind of details about somebody whom they weren't directly friends with.

Fred snorted. "That's actually not what this is about. We heard you managed to snag yourself a girlfriend." He waggled his brows suggestively and Ron's colour immediately changed to something that reminded him of a raspberry.

"A girlfriend?" their little brother squeaked and looked at them with wide eyes. "Who?"

"Why, our lovely Hermione of course," George said as casually as possible and studied Ron's reaction. His brother scrunched his face in something like disgust.

"No!" he protested loudly, which made people around them look at him with interest. "That's absurd!" But Harry tried to shush him while looking around with a panicked expression. It only took a moment for Ron to deflate and his whole posture sagged together on his chair.

"So it isn't true?" Fred asked and George found that he maybe sounded a bit too happy for his liking. But Ron and Harry didn't seem to find anything amiss and shook their heads in unison.

"Of course not! Merlin, Hermione is like a sister to me and just the thought of…" Ron scrunched his face even further and he looked like he had just taken a juicy bite out of a lemon. "It would just be wrong, you know?"

George looked at him for a long moment but couldn't reply as the thoughts started swirling around in his head. Would it be wrong to woo her? Because actually, she wasn't their sister, even though she might very well regard them as family. Bloody hell. That would make things for him even more difficult for them.

Fred shrugged. "Not really, no. But luckily I don't have to. Well, I guess we'll be off then, as there doesn't seem anything we can tease our little brother about." Fred grinned boyishly and George could tell that his twin-brother already felt lighter in his heart. Ron seemed to be out of the game when it came to Hermione, so now it was only the two of them. But that would be hard enough.

ssssssssss

Dolores Umbridge, High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, didn't that have a nice ring to it? It had taken her some letters with detailed descriptions of the non-acceptable circumstances at Hogwarts, but finally, the Minister had agreed that the current environment was not a suitable environment for their future fosterling. Therefore Dolores was from now on tasked to take matters into her own, capable hands and her new position as High Inquisitor gave her the necessary power to make suitable changes at the school. She would have to establish certain rules to improve the children's behaviour when they were outside of their classes. Only after a week of school the hallways had almost morphed into something resembling a hotbed of sin, with females and males alike indulging in shameless kisses or other very inappropriate activities. This lack of propriety was, without doubt, to be ascribed to the new Headmaster of the school as such behaviour would have been unthinkable in her times as a Hogwarts student. Well, maybe she'd be able to remedy the problem with the school leadership later. For now, Dolores would have to concentrate to create a suitable environment to find and protect their Open Link, because they didn't want to have it sullied or misled to forgo a disadvantageous connection. A set of strict rules would be a very good start for that. Maybe she should find a good place to put them up for everybody to see. That way those … spoilt children would always be reminded, what behaviour would be expected from them. Yes, that was a good idea. She'd just have to wait for tomorrow's edition of the Prophet to announce her new position and then she could let Argus Filch put up her first set of rules. The students would hopefully accept them without a fuss. If not, she had already an idea of how to make them re-evaluate their scandalous behaviour.

sssssssss

Fred almost spit his coffee out when he heard Angelina announce the news of Umbridge's new position at breakfast. If she hadn't shown him the headline of the Prophet herself, he would have thought she was taking the mickey out of him, but there it stood black on white: Professor Dolores Umbridge was named Hogwarts' new High Inquisitor with the aim to reform the school and their student's untamed behaviour.

"Untamed behaviour?" George echoed his thoughts over his shoulder and looked at the girls across them with a crooked grin. "Gods, she'll be addressing it in our next lesson with her, won't she?"

Fred groaned. "Merlin, that's today. Can't we be sick or something? What's with the… you know… maybe we should make a little test run?"

George shrugged. "Well, in the worst case we'll get ourselves sick for real, but that's nothing a visit with Madam Pomfrey wouldn't fix. One way or the other, it would get us out of class…"

"What should we go for? Puking pastilles? Nosebleed nougat?" Fred asked and grinned boyishly but George just shrugged.

"We have the toad once a week, that's enough opportunities for us to try them all," he replied with a grin. "And if our new High Inquisitor really starts doing what I think she will, the business will be booming, soon Freddy. So we should probably use the time we gain today for adjusting the recipes and stocking up."

Fred grinned. "And I thought this would turn out to be a dull day…"

"With the two of us together? Never Freddy, never."

Sssssssss

"Students must refrain from showing inappropriate behaviour in and outside of class," Hermione read and stared at the new fixed rule in the entrance hall of the castle, "such as kissing, touching and other inappropriate shows of affection."

Ron snorted next to her in disbelief. "Really? That's the first thing that sprang into Umbridge's mind when she decided she wants to reform the school?"

Harry shrugged next to him. "Well, if that's the thing she worries about the most. It's not like it's a big deal for us. I mean… none of us… errr… do this kind of thing, right?"

"But that's not the point," Hermione bit out and looked at the boys with a stern expression. "We're not even back at school for two weeks and she already starts undermining Professor Dumbledore's authority. Don't you see? The Ministry is starting to interfere with our education. That is simply unheard off. What will be next? Will she start forbidding school clubs or evaluating the other teachers?"

Ron shook his head in disbelief. "No. Dumbledore would never let her get away with that Hermione. I have a feeling that this is somehow about that Open Link. That's the thing the Ministry is really interested in."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "We need to find out who it is - if it is one of us. Couldn't you brew this Draught of Insight again, Hermione? That way we could at least find out if it's you or me."

She weighed her head. "I could, but we'd have to find a safe place to brew it first. I honestly don't feel like returning to Myrtle's bathroom after knowing that it's the entrance to… you know…"

Harry sighed next to her. "We'll find you a place. You could ask Fred and George, they know the castle like no one else…"

Well, that would definitely supply her with a reason to talk to them again, which she definitely shouldn't as long as she hadn't gotten over this silly crush of hers. Talking to them would only make it worse and…

"Huh? There they are!" Ron interrupted her thoughts and pointed towards his brother's who hurried towards them with blood pouring from their noses. They had some kind of tissue pressed against their faces, but the fabric was already soaked in red and would soon start dripping onto the floor. She stared at them with wide eyes.

"Merlin, Fred, George," she gasped and hurried towards them, her resolution already forgotten. "What happened?"

They just shrugged helplessly and stared at her with large, brown eyes. She could feel her heart melt and all her resolutions with it. "Alright, I'll help you get to the infirmary. We can't let you lose consciousness in the middle of the staircases now, can we?"

The twins nodded with a helpless shrug, but it was enough for Hermione to step between them and put her hands on their backs. It wasn't strictly necessary of course, but it didn't look like they minded the contact.

"Harry? Ron? Could you excuse me with Professor McGonagall? I'll be back to her lesson as soon as possible."

Her friends nodded hastily and waved her off. Hermione didn't lose any time before she started to guide Fred and George down the floor. "Alright you two, let's get you patched up, shall we? I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will have you fixed up in no time at all."

They cast her a happy smile and Hermione couldn't help but recognize the little jump her heart made at that, traitorous little organ.


	7. Chapter 7

A.N.: This chapter was betaed by the brilliant multilingualism. Thank you for helping me, my friend!

Chapter 7: Getting to know you

"Well, that didn't go as planned," Fred thought while he and George were guided to the hospital wing by a very enthusiastic Hermione Granger. The girl was a saint and it was probably totally unthinkable to her, that Fred and George were just faking their bleeding noses and could have just taken the antidote that was safely stored in their pockets, to cure themselves. But now that she had seen them and made up this pretty little mind of hers to prevent them from bleeding out in the corridors or whatever she was thinking, they couldn't very well tell her that they had just looked for a way to get out of Umbridge's class. Because that was something their favourite, over-achieving Prefect surely wouldn't understand. And Fred didn't want to ruin his chances to get the witch before he had even started to woo her.

"Maybe we could convince her to stay at our side for a bit if we look pity-worthy enough," George whispered through the twin link and Fred had a hard time not to start smirking.

"Well, it would be a chance to spend some time with Hermione and to get to know her a bit better," Fred answered back, without Hermione noticing a thing. "If we can't use the time to invent products for our shop, we can at least enjoy ourselves."

As if to underline this thought, Hermione's arm on his back shifted slightly which made the skin prickle in anticipation. Yeah, enjoying himself definitely wasn't a bad idea at all.

"Here we are," Hermione announced encouragingly as she guided them through the doors of the infirmary. Madame Pomphrey puttered somewhere in the back but turned around as soon as Hermione called for her. But as her eyes landed on them, her expression turned wary and she looked them over with small eyes.

"What did you do to yourselves this time, gentlemen?" she muttered and Hermione hastily stepped back to get out of the Matron's way. It was right in time, as the medi-witch was in front of them a moment later and guided them to two beds nearby. Hermione followed them with her eyes and looked at them with a worried expression. Fred tried to send her an encouraging smile, but right at that moment Madam Pomfrey vanished the tissue he held in front of his nose and a stream of blood erupted from his nose. It mustn't have been a pretty sight, because Hermione's skin started to look a bit peachy, even though she bravely returned his smile.

"Another one of your experiments?" the medi-witch muttered and held the glowing tip of her wand under his nose.

Fred shrugged with a grin. "We just can't help our curiosity," he explained good-naturedly, which made the older woman sigh in resignation.

"The two of you will be the death of me," she murmured and cast a number of healing spells to fix his nose. It wasn't long after that she was finished with them.

"Alright, you two. Try not to come back here too soon. It's enough to have you here once a week," she scolded them with a stern look but Fred just grinned at her.

"You can admit that you like it when we visit you now and then," he said and winked at her but the matron just sent him a small smile and shook her head.

"Off you go, or I'll change my mind and keep you for the rest of the day."

"See? I told you she likes us," Fred said loudly to his brother and George chuckled amusedly. That was until his eyes fell on Hermione, who waited for them with a nervous expression on her face.

"Are you alright?" she asked while kneading her hands. "You looked like you've been in a fight or something." Her eyes trailed back and forth between them with a worried expression. "Did you fight?"

George cast her a good-natured smile. "Of course not. Fred and I never fight with each other, don't worry."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "Never? Not even as kids?" They smiled in unison before they turned towards the door that would lead them to their freedom. When their girl just looked at them with a stunned expression, they each held out a hand for her, in the hope that she might take it. But that only seemed to confuse her further and she turned around with furrowed brows. "Do you want me to accompany you back to your lesson?"

Fred shrugged and started walking towards the door. "I'm still feeling a bit shaky," he lied shamelessly and looked at her with faked embarrassment. "George and I will probably just go back to a quiet place and rest a bit. But… you could join us to make sure we're alright." Fred smiled at her with a hopeful expression. He knew that he was probably overdoing it, as Hermione Granger was nothing if not dutiful, but it was worth a try. And by the look of her furrowed brows, she was really considering his suggestion.

"Do you really think you'll need me to keep an eye on you?" she asked while they strolled down the corridor together and looked at them with pink cheeks. Why was she blushing? It wasn't like they hadn't been alone together before.

George shrugged at her other side. "Not sure. We might be totally fine in a while, but it's quite a long way back into the common room. But I can totally understand if you'd rather go to your Transfiguration lesson." It was totally unfair of them to trick her like that, but Hermione Granger was pretty hard to meet alone and so they were taking every chance they could get. They just had to hope that she wouldn't discover that they were in fact totally fine because they had faked their nosebleed in the first place.

Hermione studied them with a hesitant expression while gnawing on her bottom lip, but finally, her shoulders sagged with a sigh. "Alright, I'll stay with you. But just until you feel better, alright?" The twins beamed at her.

"Alright," they said in unison and nodded.

"We could even do homework together," George suggested casually. "Or we just tell you a bit about our childhood, if you like, because you seemed rather surprised that Fred and I never argue with each other."

She blinked in surprise. "You'd really do homework? But I'm not going to help you with your essays."

Fred snorted. "Of course not. We might be a bit lazy sometimes, but we're not Ron, you know? We can do our own work."

Hermione looked at them with pink cheeks. "I know, I'm sorry. I really didn't want to imply anything."

" 's alright Hermione," the other redhead said and cast her a sunny smile. "It just seems that you really don't know us very well. And we should definitely change that. Can't have it, that you confuse us with our little brother."

"… because we are really in a category of our own," Fred continued and winked at her.

Hermione chuckled. "I never doubted that you know?"

ssssssssss

That much for her good intentions, they went right out of the window. Hermione had really wanted to keep her distance from the twins to not embarrass herself with her feelings towards them, but that was before they asked her to spend the afternoon with them. She had really considered going back to her lesson, but as she had already read the chapter on transfiguring mice anyway, she knew that she wasn't going to miss anything that she couldn't teach herself. And so she had finally relented and agreed to accompany Fred and George to the common room. They would be doing homework together after all and there wasn't really anything, she could say against that, right?

The common room was unsurprisingly empty as almost all of the students were still in their classes and so the twins chose one of the cosy corners with a sofa and two armchairs. After a hesitant look towards them, she chose an armchair for herself, while Fred and George settled together on the sofa.

"How much do you have to do?" George asked her and looked at her with an inclined head.

"Just potions today," she said and pulled out her book and her writing utensils out of her bag. "You?"

"Transfiguration and a bit of charms," George replied with a shrug. " 's not a big deal, we already know what to write. So we can skip the reading."

She furrowed her brows. "Well, but I'm sure you'll need to double-check some details."

Fred shrugged. "Maybe, but usually we are fine without."

With that, they set themselves to work. It didn't take long until she realized that doing homework with the Weasley twins was completely different than doing homework with Harry and Ron. Her friends were usually quite distracted and kept fidgeting and moaning, while they did their work. Fred and George, on the other hand, sat in complete silence and worked with an efficiency, which could only leave her staring at them in fascination. Their quills seemed to be moving nonstop and she didn't even have half of her essay finished until both of them stretched and put their parchment aside.

"You're already finished?" she asked them in disbelief and couldn't help that her eyes drifted towards the scroll on the floor. Could that even be a good essay, if they had barely taken their time to think about what they were writing? George seemed to sense her thoughts, as he watched her actions with a knowing smile on his face and said: "You look like you'd love to read our scribblings. Well, go on, don't be shy. We really don't mind."

Hermione looked back and forth between the two brothers. "Really? I don't want you to think that I'm nosy or… well… a Know-It-All." Her cheeks turned pink at her words, a thing they seemed to do regularly in their presence, which was honestly the most annoying thing.

"Why would we think that, Hermione?" Fred said with a happy smile. "You're curious and that's never a bad thing. We must know…" He winked at her, before handing over his scroll and leaning back on the sofa. She blinked at him for a moment, but as neither of them said anything else she put her own essay aside and started reading. Hermione was only three inches in before she realized how good it was. She had always been interested in human transfiguration and even though she had already read some books on the topic, none of them had been able to explain the basic principles for a transformation into another living being like that. And before Hermione realized it, she was totally swallowed by the text.

"Well? What do you think?" Fred interrupted her thoughts after a while and after she recognized how nervous he sounded she realized that she hadn't only read his essay twice but had continued gathering her own thoughts on the topic afterwards.

"It's brilliant!" she exclaimed and handed the parchment back with a beaming smile. "I've seriously never read anything like it. It's like…" she struggled for words, "Well, most specialised texts are rather dry to read and sometimes you have to read a passage twice or even more often until you can really grasp the meaning. But this…"

"Does it mean you like it?" the redhead asked her with a hopeful smile.

"Absolutely," Hermione said wholeheartedly. "You've done something I am never quite able to. You didn't just repeat what's in the textbook and put it into a new context… you put in something of your own, too. When I'm reading this I finally realize, why Snape's always complaining about my essays ruminating the book."

Fred snorted in amusement. "Don't worry about the old bat. By the way, how's your essay going?" Without waiting for an answer he wordlessly summoned her parchment from the floor and looked it over with his brows furrowed in concentration. Hermione wanted to protest because after reading his essay, she almost felt stupid for hers. And that had really never happened to her before. But finally, she sighed and leaned back in her armchair, to wait for his comments. It didn't take long before he looked at her, with a smile dancing behind his eyes.

"Ah yeah, the endless essays on the influence of clockwise versus anti-clockwise stirring techniques. It's one of Snape's favourite topics I fear." He snorted, before handing her the essay back. "But you're almost finished by the look of it. Just discuss its effect on the required simmering time and you're about done."

Hermione nodded and reopened her essay in front of her. She studied her text for a few seconds before she looked up at Fred with furrowed brows. "I don't get it," she said to the two of them and shook her head. "You're brilliant! How does nobody realize that?"

The twins looked at her with a stunned expression.

"Well, some teachers like McGonagall do see it, I guess, but they usually only moan about our wasted potential," George replied and shook his head with a grin.

Fred shrugged. "But we're not wasting anything. Our dreams are just not the same as everybody else's. I mean honestly! Could you see us as Prefects or even Head Boys? We'd die of utter boredom."

Hermione couldn't suppress a chuckle. "That's true I guess. But, what about your NEWTs? You're each only attempting three of them, aren't you?"

They nodded seriously. "Absolutely. Charms, Transfiguration and Defence NEWTs are all we need," George said and smiled but Hermione wasn't convinced.

"Not potions? You both seem fairly good at it and I almost got the impression you liked the subject. And wouldn't it be useful, if you want to design your own products?"

Fred smiled. He didn't seem insulted by her words at all. "You're right of course; I love potions, to be honest. That is, in fact, the reason I decided to not suffer through two more years of Snape. This guy manages to almost squish the interest in the topic in anyone and even though he's a talented brewer, he's a horrible teacher."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. Fred was right, in a way, but she still didn't like to talk bad about one of her teachers. And so she just shrugged without giving any answer at all.

Instead, George continued his brother's explanation. "Honestly Hermione, all he does is tell you the right side in the potions book and walk through the class and make snide comments. One could think he does that to prevent potions accidents, but there were enough of those in our class and I'm pretty sure it's not any different in yours. So what's the use of sitting through two more years of that? We much rather use the time teaching ourselves something useful."

She sighed. What they said did make sense, at least for them. And so she couldn't even fault them for their reasoning. "I honestly never looked at it like that," she admitted with a small smile. "But I guess you really thought that through. And the two of you would make horrible ministry employees anyway."

Fred and George were totally stunned. "You agree with us? Really? Just like that?"

"Why not?", she said with a shrug. "You really seem to have put a lot of thought in that. And I'm not your mum, so it's none of my business anyway."

They looked at her with shining eyes and happy smiles. "Well, apart from Harry, you're the first one just accepting our plan without making a big fuss. Even Ron thinks we're a bit barmy," George said with a grin.

"Well, we always knew our Hermione is special, didn't we Georgie?" Fred said to his brother and winked at her and just like that the colour was back in her cheeks. Merlin, when would she finally stop embarrassing herself in front of them? It's not like they were flirting with her after all. They were just trying to be nice, right?


	8. Chapter 8

A.N.: This chapter was kindly betaed by Multilingualism. Thank you, my friend!

Chapter 8: The deal

"Do you think we overdid it?" George murmured to his twin when they readied themselves for bed in the evening. "The poor girl looked like she was about to faint when you started making suggestions for her essay."

Fred snorted. "Well, I didn't lie when I told her that she doesn't know us very well. We need her to realize that there's more to us than the careless pranksters and Quidditch beaters, all the others seem to see when we want to win her heart. I mean, there is more to us, even though we usually do not advertise it."

George nodded and took off his hand-knit sweater. "I know. We usually cultivate this picture of us, but that won't win us any points with her I guess. It's just that she seemed a bit overwhelmed towards the end. Do you think she might suspect that we are up to something?"

Fred scratched his head with a chuckle. "We are always up to something, George. So I think that's a definite 'yes' to your question. And her pretty blushes give me hope, that she's not totally indifferent towards us either."

"You think so?" his brother asked in a hopeful voice and for a short, sad moment Fred realized that only one of them would be able to get the girl in the end.

"It's hard to resist the charm of a Weasley-twin," he agreed and clapped his brother on his back with a wide smile. "…even for somebody like Hermione."

"I hope you're right," George muttered and slipped on the shirt he'd use for the night.

"Me, too," Fred added in his thoughts. "Me, too."

ssssssss

Hermione would have thought that by now she would have mentally arrived in the new school year somehow, but right now everything seemed a bit different for her, but it was obviously much the same for the rest of the school. Both of her friends had changed rather substantially over the last weeks. Harry was very moody and broody most of the time and usually, he looked around with a permanent scowl etched into his face now. She could understand of course, as the Ministry and the Prophet still spewed their venom against him and turned him into a liar or an attention-seeking teenager, which was both objectively spoken, absolute nonsense. But more than half of the school seemed to believe the media's lies or find them pretty convenient and so her friend was faced with harassing comments day by day. And Hermione really felt sorry for him. Luckily Harry still somehow managed to hold his temper, but she could tell that the anger was simmering right below his surface and it was only a matter of time until he could no longer hold his frustration in.

Ron was an entirely different matter. He, too, had changed over the last weeks and even though he still seemed emotional or flustered from time to time, he managed puberty rather well. Ever since his confession that he was not the Open Link and the conversation that followed, Ron seemed to have established a new self-confidence that rather suited him. And Hermione really enjoyed this new side of him.

"Don't worry about those Slytherins," she whispered to him as they were just sitting over their breakfast. It was the day of the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match and it was no surprise that emotions were running high on all sides. "They think themselves so funny and sneaky with their little stickers, but I think they realized that they only have a chance of winning this game if they make you lose your nerve."

He looked at her with a grimace. "No pressure then, huh?"

Hermione smiled. "Don't worry, Ron. The last weeks have shown pretty clearly that you are capable of much more than you gave yourself credit for in the past. Just believe in yourself and they don't stand a chance." She put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him close.

"Thanks, Mione," her friend mumbled with rosy cheeks and a smile on his lips.

"Awww, you should start working as a team motivator or something, Hermione," she suddenly heard from behind her and when she turned around she saw Fred and George, who looked at her with twinkling eyes and a matching smile on their lips. It didn't even take a moment until the blush was back on her cheeks. By now it was almost permanently there, whenever she was in their presence.

"Maybe you should give us a hug, too? Just for good luck," Fred said and grinned handsomely. Merlin, it almost sounded like he was flirting with her. Was he?

"Oi, you two leave Mione alone," Ron scolded his brothers with a dark expression. "Stop making fun of her, I won't have it." For a moment both of the twins looked at their brother in surprise, but finally, George smiled and pulled him to his feet with a good-natured smile.

"Alright, alright, calm down little brother. Let's go down to the pitch, shall we? Then we can get you warmed up before all the Slytherin jerks arrive."

Ron still scowled at them, but finally, he nodded with a sigh. "Alright, let's go. I don't mind having some more minutes that I don't have to look at Malfoy's self-satisfied smirk. It makes my hand itch in anticipation."

George snorted and pulled his little brother between him and Fred. "We could deliver some Bludgers into his face if it would make you feel better." Hermione couldn't hear his answer, as they had already started to make their way out of the great hall, but as all three of them started laughing, it must have been a good one.

Sssssssss

George still wasn't sure how things could have gone south that quickly. The Quidditch match had gone so well and to his big surprise, Ron had performed above all expectations. He should have known that the Slytherins would try to deliver some sort of payback but he still hadn't been prepared for the cruel insults Malfoy delivered against his and Harry's parents.

"Well, gentlemen? What do you have to say to defend your violent actions towards Mr Malfoy?" Umbridge said in her sickly sweet voice and looked at the assembled culprits with shiny eyes. Today she wore a sky blue fluffy jacket and a huge bow in the matching colour and George asked himself if no one had ever told her how hideous she looked. They had been unlucky enough that their new High Inquisitor caught them first, as she had claimed the task of punishing them for herself, even though McGonagall had protested rather loudly. But it was of no use.

"He insulted our parents," Fred protested next to him and looked at the toady woman with a clenched jaw and a fierce expression in his brown eyes. George was pretty sure that his twin wanted to say more, but he was glad that he managed to hold himself back. They really couldn't use any more trouble.

"Does this give you the right to attack your classmates like some sort of wild animals? Such behaviour shows a substantial lack of self-control and sets a very bad example for all younger students. One should believe that students your age should be able to behave more maturely, but obviously, I was mistaken."

She looked at them with her blue eyes shining with disappointment but George couldn't help but think that this whole display of emotions was faked. He couldn't pinpoint if it was something in her voice or in her eyes, but he was pretty sure that the short woman was secretly pleased that she had found a reason to punish them. And this realisation let his skin crawl in dark anticipation about what was coming. "I am sure you understand that such behaviour cannot go unpunished, as this would encourage others to imitate these foul manners. And we don't need any more chaos in this school."

George looked at her with a scowl. Well, he could kind of see her point, but he still wasn't sorry for going after Malfoy one bit. And he still wouldn't be, after he served his detention with the toad.

"Alright, when are you expecting us for detention?" Fred asked and George was almost sure that his twin tried to imitate a friendly tone. But he could still hear the anger in his voice.

"Detention?" Umbridge asked surprised and looked at them with an unsettling smile. "Oh, no, boys, not this time. I think a temporary Quidditch ban until after the next game will get the message through more likely, don't you think?"

It was as if he'd been gutted, as all air suddenly seemed to have left him. Merlin, this witch was truly evil and she totally knew how to play her card right.

"You can't just ban three members of the Quidditch team!" Fred protested to his left and George could clearly feel his twin's anger through the twin bond. But the evil witch in front of them just widened her pseudo-friendly smile at his words. "Oh, believe me, Mr Weasley, I can and I will. So I would strongly recommend the three of you think carefully, before acting out the next time. Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," George grumbled and got to his feet. And right at this moment, he hated no one more than Dolores Umbridge, not even You-Know-Who himself. The woman had just made herself at least two very mischievous enemies, even though it would take her some time to realize that. Sooner or later he and his twin would deliver their payback, he told himself, but first, he'd have to survive the dressing down that was surely waiting for them, as soon as the rest of the Quidditch team realized that they were three players short.

ssssssss

"I need you to brew that Draught of Insight for me, Hermione," Harry mumbled a few days later when they were just busy doing their homework together. The Gryffindor common room was packed with busy students and there was the constant hum of voices in the air around them, but Hermione had long gotten used to the sound and had no problems concentrating on her work until Harry had interrupted her with his sudden request. He had been in an even worse mood ever since the fateful Quidditch match against Slytherin, but she also couldn't avoid noticing that her friend looked more and more tired day by day.

She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "We talked about this, Harry. First, I'd need a suitable place for brewing it. I can't very well ask Snape if I could use his lab, can I?"

Harry looked at her with a tired expression. "I know, Hermione. It's just that, there's really something wrong with me. I… my scar has started hurting again and lately I've been having really strange dreams. I… I really think there's something wrong with me and I just don't know what else to do!" Harry had leapt from the sofa at the last words and Hermione could see that half of the common room was watching them by now. Her messy-haired friend seemed to have realized it too, as his shoulders sagged and he sat back down defeatedly.

"Sorry, I didn't want to start shouting," he mumbled shamefacedly and stared into his lap. "I don't know why I get so angry lately. But you see what I mean. I haven't been like that in the past, but suddenly…" He buried his hands in his hair. "Hermione, please. We need to find a way to make this potion again. All we need is a safe place for some hours. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Hermione sighed. "Alright. I'll find a way. Just… give me some days and don't do anything rash. Keep your head down and try not to get in any more trouble, Okay?"

Harry nodded and looked at her full of gratefulness. "Yeah, Okay. It's not like I need any more trouble, right?"

Ron snorted next to him and clapped him onto the back: "Not really, no. Trouble keeps finding you, Harry, and in this school year it seems to be right on your heels."

Hermione wholeheartedly agreed with her friend's statement and so it only took her a few minutes to make up her mind. She had helped Harry countless times but he had rarely asked for her help like that. He was desperate and Hermione had helped him with much more difficult or dangerous things in the past. Brewing a potion that only took some hours was compared to that almost not even worth mentioning.

With a defeated sigh she excused herself from her friends and strolled over to the other end of the common room, where Fred and George were lounging together on one of the Gryffindor-red sofas. She had mostly avoided them in the last days in the hope that her confused feelings would finally settle down, but she hadn't been that lucky. All it took for her was one look into their brown, sparkling eyes and she felt her heart flutter in her chest like some sort of trapped butterfly. Brilliant! But what didn't she do for her friends?

"Fred? George? Do you have a minute?" she asked hesitantly and waited in front of the sofa. They looked up at her in surprise.

"Hermione," Fred said and smiled. "Sure, sit down." He patted the sofa right between him and his brother, who moved aside to make a bit more room for her. Then he looked up at her with an inviting smile.

"You don't just want to stand there, do you?"

Inwardly she sighed, but on the outside, she plastered a happy smile on her face. Harry was definitely owing her, that much was sure. "No, of course not," she said and she sat down. Even though the sofa was quite big, their legs still brushed against each other, when she only moved a bit. The twins didn't seem to care though, as George promptly put his arm around her shoulder, while Fred put one of his around her back. And for a moment she really considered to just bolt from the sofa and tell Harry to finally start solving his own problems.

"So… what can we do for our favourite Prefect? Need any help with your homework?" Fred said cheekily and looked at her with sparkling eyes. But for a moment she had totally forgotten the reason why she went over to them at all. It was probably because her heart was occupied with pumping all her blood into her skin so that not a drop was left for her poor brain.

"I…" Hermione started, but suddenly she felt Fred's hand move just an inch on her back and her train of thought was lost to her again. She groaned inwardly. Were they doing this on purpose? "I wanted to ask your help," she finally bit out, before her speech left her again because her voice really did sound kind of squeaky already. "…not with homework, don't worry. I… I need a place where I'll be undisturbed for a few hours."

Fred looked at her with a wide grin. "Don't tell me you need the place for a rendezvous that you want to keep a secret from our High Inquisitor."

Was it possible to get any redder? She hadn't thought so, but Hermione had obviously been wrong. "No, nothing like that," she groaned and looked at them with a scowl. "I need the place for brewing the Draught of Insight, without anybody noticing."

George studied her with a curious expression. "Draught of Insight, huh? Well, we might know a place for that, don't we Freddy?"

"Yeah, we actually might," Fred said, leaned back on the sofa and folded his hands behind his head. "Do we get something in return?"

For a moment she just stared at him with wide eyes. "You want something back? I…errrr… well…"

Both of them looked at her with an amused grin. "You could, for example, agree, to accompany us to Hogsmeade the next weekend," George suggested with a small smile. "Just Fred, you and me, what do you think?"

She thought that she must have finally snapped and started imagining things. Or that they were probably just trying to tease or to trick her and would start chuckling just in a moment. But nothing like that happened and they just waited for her answer with a patient smile on their lips.

"Are you serious? You… you want to take me to Hogsmeade? Like on a date?"

Her words must have turned shrill towards the end, as she could finally feel several pairs of eyes on her. She closed her eyes in mortification.

"If that's alright with you?" George said with a happy smile and didn't look embarrassed in the least. He actually looked quite smug, now that she thought about it.

"I…" she really didn't know what to say. Well, that was not true, because she definitely wanted to go on a date with them. She had fantasised about the Weasley twins for the last weeks, for Merlin's sake. So why was she afraid to say yes?

Fred looked at her with an encouraging smile. "We would only make a quick stop at Zonko's and then we could browse the book store together. How does that sound?"

"And in return, we show you our secret hide-out," George added and squeezed her shoulders. "What do you think, Hermione?"

She thought that she had gone mad. "Alright," she answered with an audible sigh. "But there is no way you can drag me to Madam Puddifoot's or something equally embarrassing, is that clear?"

"Totally," they answered in unison and with a wide grin. The view made her heart beat frantically in her chest. Merlin, could it be that they were truly interested in her, too? But how should that even work? She couldn't very well date both of them, could she?

"Well then," George interrupted her thoughts. "I would say you prepare your potions equipment for tomorrow afternoon. We'll meet you at the portrait of the Fat Lady around 4."

She nodded determinedly before she leapt from the sofa. "Alright, see you tomorrow then," she said hastily and almost ran back to the spot, where Harry and Ron waited for her with wide eyes. Oh Merlin, she still couldn't believe that she had agreed to go on a date with them.

"Hermione? Did you just…" Harry started carefully but closed his mouth like a fish after only a few words.

She sighed. "You mean if I just agreed to go on a date with Fred and George in exchange for them to show me a room, where I can brew your potion in?" she asked in a clipped voice. "Yeah, I did. You owe me for this, Harry Potter. I am in the right mood to demand your first-born child or something equally important in return for this."

Ron looked at her with total disbelief, before his eyes turned towards Harry. "She has a point, mate. Merlin Hermione, I can't believe you agreed to this. What if they prank you the whole day or if they try to kiss you?" he said and sounded like the second option was significantly worse than the first. "Sometimes I think we really don't deserve you, you know?"

Ron's words charmed a small smile on her face. "I know, boys, believe me, I know."


	9. Chapter 9

A.N.: This chapter was kindly betad by my friend multilingualism.

Chapter 9: When you think it's bad

They had done it. They had convinced Hermione Granger to go on a date with them – both of them. Yes, she had only agreed because they had more or less blackmailed her to do it, but he and George had done it in a rather nice way, hadn't they? And it wasn't like they didn't plan to let her enjoy the day with them, quite the contrary actually. So it wasn't actual blackmail, right?

It was like he and George had just landed the jackpot. Hermione Granger was a difficult witch to romance or even spend time with, as she was mostly shadowed by Ron or Harry or so deeply engaged in a book that she simply didn't notice her surroundings any longer. But now he and George had her just for themselves, twice. Fred couldn't believe his luck and he was determined to grab it with both hands, or should he say her?

Hermione looked nervous, when she waited for them in front of the portrait hole, her potions kit and school bag tightly clutched in her arms. Once more Fred realized how small she actually was, as the top of her head barely reached his shoulders.

"Fred, George, right on time," she said as her hazel eyes flickered up to them and a shy smile tugged on her lips. Still, she looked like she was just about to bolt from the room.

" 'Course we are," George said with a grin and pried the potions kit from her hands to carry it for her. "I'll carry this for you. You ready to go?"

Hermione nodded hastily and clutched her back even tighter, like she was afraid, that it would be taken from her, too. Fred honestly considered it for the show of being a gentleman, too, but when he saw her reaction he quickly reconsidered. Better not to try too much too soon. "Today you'll learn one of our secrets," Fred told her while walking at her right side. "You'll have to forget your responsibilities as a Prefect for once because we trust you not to rat us out."

From the corner of his eyes, he saw her nod. "I wouldn't do that to you, not if you endangered your secret by agreeing to help me," she said in a serious but silent voice.

He smiled. "That's one more reason why you're our favourite Prefect." Fred winked at her and it didn't even take a moment until the pretty blush was back on her face. But Fred didn't comment on it and just enjoyed the view.

It wasn't long until they stopped in front of the statue of the three-eyed troll on the 6th floor. The statue was one of the ugliest ones in the castle and aside from the fact that the thing had three eyes, it was a very convincing replica of the mountain trolls Fred had seen in his school books. The secret passage behind it was one that they had only discovered last year but ever since it was one of their favourites.

"It's only a little bit further," George promised and after checking that no one else was around, he activated the secret mechanism by tickling the troll's left foot. Immediately, the statue hobbled to the side and revealed the door that was hidden behind it. George opened it with a fluid motion and invited Hermione inside with a bow and a proud grin. "Mylady? After you," he said and the girl cast him a questioning gaze before stepping inside. Fred knew of course what she would find there, but the surprised gasp from her was still music in his ears. He cast his brother a proud grin before he followed Hermione into their secret lab. There she stood and looked around with wide eyes and an open mouth. When he and George had found the place during their last year, the place had been full of cobwebs and dust but they had quickly cleaned everything out and arranged the heavy workbenches along the walls in a circle so that the middle of the room offered enough space for their more voluminous experiments. By now the whole room was filled with sparkling and whizzing products in development as well as with five cauldrons full of bubbling potions. Four of them would form the base of their new wonder witch beauty line, the last one was another special project for him.

"This looks like…is this your lab?" their favourite Prefect asked and looked at them like she had never seen them before.

Fred nodded with a grin. "Georgie and I found the place last year and ever since we use it for our little side projects." He winked at her and made a grand gesture with his hand. "We mostly use the place to develop new products for our shop. I'm experimenting on different potions over there," he pointed to several work-benches with various cauldrons in the back of the room "and George does his enchantments in this area." Hermione followed his explanations with glowing eyes and he could see that her fingers were itching to touch everything. He smiled. "Go on, take a look. As long as none of our secrets leaves the room, we are fine with a little curiosity. We already told you, that we don't consider it a bad character trait."

Hermione nodded mutely and after she had placed her school bag on one of the tables, she carefully trailed through the room. Her eyes seemed to take in and catalogue everything and Fred would feel bad or worried, if it was anybody but her. This was Hermione Granger, the cleverest and most loyal girl he had ever met and he was absolutely sure that she would never compromise one of their experiments or betray their trust. It was a strange thing to have such trust in her, considering the fact, that they hadn't talked that much to her in the past. But Fred had watched her over the years and he had the feeling that he knew her pretty well.

"What is this one?" the little witch asked after she had passed several work-benches without comment. He smiled when he saw what she was looking at. The project was one of his favourites at the moment after all. "It's my attempt to create a mild version of the Felix Felicis. The original potion is pretty hard and expensive to make," he started and from her agreeing nod he assumed that she knew the original potion. "The one I am attempting to make for the shop is far less potent but enough to swing the luck to your side for minor, every-day events. The thing won't save your life in a duel or make you win a game of Quidditch but it might still bring the smile to your face more often than without taking it."

Hermione blinked at him in surprise. "That is actually a really brilliant idea," she said and smiled. "I can't believe you are inventing all this stuff, without even taking your NEWT in Potions. But I can see that you are doing pretty well on your own."

Fred snorted. " 'm not though. There's always Georgie, I'm rarely working alone in here." At that, George was at his side and he could feel his twin's arm around his shoulder. He smiled. "It takes two mad geniuses to come up with all of this stuff."

"Probably," Hermione agreed with a nod. "And even then it's hard to believe, you two came up with all this stuff on your own." She shook her head with a smile before she turned around and went back to the table she had chosen for herself. "Can I set up my stuff here?"

He shrugged. "Absolutely. Make yourself at home. If you need anything, I'm over there." Fred pointed to his simmering cauldron and Hermione nodded with a smile.

"Alright, thank you, boys. I'll be careful not to disturb you with whatever you are working at."

George snorted from the other side of the room. "Nonsense, Hermione. If you need help or have a question, just ask. This isn't Snape's lesson. We're here to have fun, okay?"

Hermione looked at both of them with glowing eyes and a shy smile. "Okay." And Fred couldn't help but think that they had just won her over a bit more.

sssssssss

Hermione went through her next school day like in trance. It wasn't a new thing to her any longer, as it had happened to her a couple of times now since the holidays, but she couldn't help but think that her old self would have been appalled by her lack of participation in the lessons. But today, Hermione didn't care.

Yesterday had been odd. She hadn't known what to expect when the Weasley twins had promised her a room where she could finish Harry's potion in peace. She had maybe pictured an empty classroom or something like that but surely not a secret laboratory full of their own, halfway-finished inventions.

Her mind ran in circles over the question, if Fred and George were really interested in any kind of romance with her. While working with them neither Fred nor George had said anything that could be considered flirty or less than proper. They had treated her like a research partner, or a good friend, but definitely not like a love interest. So why had they asked her on a date? Well, they hadn't asked her for a date explicitly, just for her to accompany them to Hogsmeade, hadn't they? The date was what she had been implying but they also hadn't disagreed with her statement when she confronted them with it. So what should she even expect, when she went to Hogsmeade with both of them? Would they try to romance her, to make it a proper date? She seriously doubted that they planned to share her in a relationship, right? Or was sharing a love-interest some kind of wizard-thing she hadn't heard about until today? Arrrgh, it was just so frustrating to not know the answers to any of these questions. But as it appeared, she would have to accept the uneasiness for now.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" Harry's voice pulled her out of her thoughts when she strolled down the corridor after she had finished her lessons for the day. "You seemed strangely absent today." It was true. She hadn't even realized that he had caught up with her, because she had been that absorbed by her never-ending train of thoughts.

"Yeah, I've been a bit distracted today. Sorry, if I've been ignoring you. It really wasn't on purpose."

Her friend shrugged and cast her a good-natured smile. "It's fine Hermione. We all have a lot on our plate lately. Did you… did you manage to brew the potion yesterday?"

"Yeah," she said and smiled. The evening in Fred's and George's lab had been really successful. The potion came along quite nicely and apart from the phial she intended for Harry she managed to bottle another one that she would keep for herself. "I put the phial under a stasis charm, so it will be ready for you, whenever you choose to take it." She told her friend proudly.

"Good," Harry said and flashed her a grim smile. "Do you have them with you?"

She looked at him with wide eyes. "You want to take them now?"

Harry nodded determinedly. "Absolutely. Let's look for an empty classroom or something. I think there are some of those on the 5th floor."

At that, her friend turned into the direction that led them to the main staircases and started walking with even more determination. 'He's really desperate,' Hermione realized, as she recognized his stiff posture and the strange magical tension that seemed to radiate from him in waves. Harry was right. They all had a lot on their plates, at the moment, but somehow the realization that she wasn't the only one having problems made her feel better and a little less alien.

It really didn't take them long to find an empty classroom on the 5th floor. Luckily the hallway was already deserted as all students had hurried back into their dorms, common rooms or outside after finishing their last lesson for the day and therefore it wasn't difficult to slip into the empty room without anyone noticing. They had barely stepped inside when Harry closed the door behind them with a determined face and even cast one of the charms Professor Flitwick had recently taught them for warding the room. "Alright, this should be enough to not get disturbed within the next minutes," he said and walked towards them with a tired sigh. "Alright, Hermione. Do you have the potion? I'd really like to get this over with."

Ron snorted. "I get it, mate, believe me. Remember? Some days ago I was the one begging Hermione to give her potion to me."

Harry nodded with a sigh. "I know. I really just want to know what's wrong with me. All these strange dreams I have at night and then the pain is this damn scar. It's slowly driving me mad."

Hermione nodded understandingly. "We understand, Harry. Here's the potion." She handed him the potion that she had stored in an unbreakable vial in one of the inner pockets of her robes. Her friend took it with a smile of gratitude.

"Thanks, Hermione. I don't know what I'd do without you." Harry looked at his friends with a determined expression, before he took off the stopper and eyed the silvery potion within the vial. Then he took a deep breath and said: "Alright, let's do this." He locked his eyes with them and drowned the potion. The reaction was instant. Where the students, Hermione had seen taking the potion in Snape's class, had just fallen in some sort of trance, Harry gasped before his knees buckled and he slid to the floor. There he fell to his side and crumpled into a ball by grabbing his knees with his arms. Ron was at his side in an instant.

"Harry, Merlin! Is that supposed to be happening?" he shouted in a panicked voice and looked at her with wide eyes. "Hermione, do something!"

Hermione kneeled down next to Harry with her heart beating heavily in her chest. Merlin, what had she done? Had the potion gone wrong without her noticing it? With shaking hands she felt Harry's pulse point and just when she realized that his heart was beating frantically, his eyes fluttered open with a gasp. For a moment he just stared at them from the floor with frightened, wild eyes, before he grasped Hermione's and Ron's hands and pulled himself up in a sitting position. "Harry? Are you alright?" Ron asked with his eyes full of concern.

Harry shook his head and looked at them with his green eyes full of panic and hopelessness, while his breath came out in laboured pants.

"Harry?" Hermione tried carefully and gently pressed his hand. "Please Harry, talk to us. You're really scaring us right now."

Ron nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, mate. Whatever it is, you know we won't judge you. Just talk to us."

The boy on the floor blinked. "Are you sure? Because I'm pretty sure the answer I've gotten will scare you as least as much as it is scaring me. And I'm just about to lose it right now."

Ron stared at his friend with wide eyes. "What is it? Are you the Open Link?"

But the other boy just snorted, before a humourless laugh escaped him. "I wish it was that easy. Merlin… being the Open Link would definitely be considered good news compared to… this." He seemed to struggle for words. Finally, he let go of their hands and started pulling at his hair. Then he sighed again and closed his eyes for a long moment. When he opened them again, he shook his head and said: "Merlin, there is really no easy way of saying this. The reason I have these nightmares… I…" He closed his eyes with a pained expression on his face and without opening them he continued: "There's a part of Voldemort's soul living inside of me. It must have kind of awakened or something when he resurrected himself on this damned graveyard."

For a moment their friend just sat there, waiting for their reaction with closed eyes and Hermione couldn't help but wonder, if he didn't want to see the expressions on their faces. But the gasp of shock that left her mouth still betrayed her feelings anyway. She could feel her hand starting to tremble and for a moment she had to fight the urge to pull it out of Harry's grasp, but she willed herself to stay calm as she asked: "Are you sure? What exactly is it that the potion told you?"

A that, Harry opened his green eyes and looked at her with something resembling tiredness and resignation. "There is a part of Voldemort's soul that somehow got attached to me. The potion didn't say how only that it is there and pretty much alive. But that's all I got from it."

Hermione took a deep breath before she sought out his eyes. They are still the same, she reminded herself, even though she could have sworn to catch a red shimmer behind them for a second. And the realisation that it probably wasn't just her imagination playing a trick on her freaked her out beyond measure. Merlin, if this was really true, then they were in big trouble.

"You have to talk to Professor Dumbledore, Harry. You need to tell him what we just found out," she urged her friend and she could feel the determination return to her voice. "We are not sure if… this" she motioned helplessly towards his scar "affects you in any other way than by giving you strange dreams. It can very well be that the anger you feel isn't your anger at all…" She let the statement hang in the room for a minute and by the widening of the boy's eyes they had gotten what she wanted to imply. Good. Because this really wasn't the moment to back out and hide below one's blanket. "If anyone knows what all of this means, or how it happened or hell… how to get rid of it, then it's Professor Dumbledore, Harry."

Her black-haired friend nodded, but he still stared at her with his shoulders sagged in defeat. "Yeah, I know. But… he's been kind of avoiding me ever since the summer holidays, I think. I'm not even sure if he'd be willing to talk to me now."

But Hermione just shook her head in determination. "He has to talk to you, Harry. This is important, really important." With that, she pulled herself to her feet and flattened the wrinkles in her robe. Then she looked at the boys with a raised chin and a determined expression in her eyes. "I'll come with you, Harry. I am a Prefect after all. I know we can't go and talk to the Headmaster directly, but we can always go to Professor McGonagall. She's also a member of the Order, so it should be safe to talk to her about your… problem."

Ron was on his feet next to her just a moment later. "Good idea, Hermione. I'll be right behind you, mate. Don't worry Harry. We'll fix this somehow. You're not alone in this, right Mione?"

Hermione nodded with a smile. "No, we're in this together. Whatever happens Harry, we'll be right behind you."


	10. Chapter 10

A.N.: This chapter was kindly betaed by my friend multilingualism.

Chapter 10: The enemy in your head

Severus Snape was looking forward to a peaceful afternoon without grading or peeking into the heads of adolescent students that didn't think about much else than whom to pull into one of the various broom closets next. It was a tiring task that left him moody and with a sick feeling in his stomach more often than not, but in the momentary situation, Legilimency was the only tool at his disposal that he could use to find the student who was the Open Link. It was a tedious task as it could be almost any one of them and Severus wasn't one who had followed the school's gossip as some of his other colleagues. And in his recent situation that really came as a big disadvantage. He wasn't privy to his student's little dirty secrets and the details of their love life because honestly, who wanted to know these things as an adult? There had been enough teenage drama and heartbreak in his youth to last him a lifetime, so why in the name of Salazar should he seek out anybody else's on top of that? It was tasteless and he wouldn't have loved anything more than to tell the Dark Lord to do the job himself just once, but he guessed that he would have liked his master's answer even less. And so Severus soldiered on.

But not today, no. Today his schedule was blissfully empty and he could finally use some of his time to go over the newest issues of "Potions and Poisons" that was sitting on his desk for weeks without him having time to read it. Today as his time for leisure and that usually meant reading – a lot.

But Severus should have known that it wasn't meant to be. The day had been going too well, so far, and so he wasn't even a little bit surprised when his fireplace roared to life and the flames inside turned green a moment later.

"Severus? Are you in?" called the Headmaster's voice through the flames. He groaned and flung the still untouched article back on the coffee table, that held his untouched cup of tea that the enthusiastic house-elves had just provided for him.

"No Albus," he called through the room and buried his face in his hands. "Whatever it is, do me the favour and go to somebody else, just once." He really wasn't in the mood to endure the old fool's chatter or his endless theories concerning the Open Link today, because when there was anybody who loved gossip more than Sybil Trelawney, then it was Albus fucking Dumbledore. But Severus really couldn't take any more of it. Not today.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, my boy," his voice answered without the air of amusement. "We do have kind of an emergency concerning young Mister Potter. I must ask you to come to my office at once."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," the tired Potions Master grumbled and leapt from the brown leather sofa, he called his own. What had the stupid moron done now? Did he and his little friends brew another batch of cat-hair infused Polyjuice? He swore he would let them stew on the Infirmary for a few weeks before he would find the time to brew the right antidote this time. The boy finally had to learn to keep himself out of trouble and not run towards it every time, when he scented some excitement. Otherwise, it wouldn't be long until he got them all killed. And Severus had enough shit on his feet to manage that all by himself just fine, thank you very much.

He really wasn't prepared for the assembly of people in the Headmaster's Office, when he stepped through the floo with a sour expression on his face. Next to an almost worried-looking Albus Dumbledore, there was also Minerva, who paced the room like an agitated lioness in a cage. That was probably how the stern woman felt anyway, as her eyes tirelessly trailed over her three lion cubs that set in front of the Headmaster's desk. He had expected Harry Potter, of course, but he should have known that his two best friends weren't far behind, when trouble was involved.

"Ah Severus," the old man in midnight-blue robes said with a pleased smile. "Thank you for joining us so willingly."

Who was this man trying to fool? The kids? By the look of it, they could definitely tell that he'd rather be somewhere else. And for once he really didn't feel like playing the Headmaster's games. "I'm here because you asked me to be, no more and no less. So out with it, what have these fools done now?"

He saw the Granger girl and Potter bristle in their chairs, while the Weasley boy looked like he was about to explode by the red colour of his face. But thankfully the Headmaster silenced them with a calming gesture of his hand. "I assure you, Severus, that the three of them are quite innocent this time. You see, Mr. Potter has just made a very disconcerting discovery concerning some unsettling dreams he has had in the last weeks."

He couldn't help but snort. "You called me because the boy has nightmares?" he asked in disbelief and he saw Minerva's eyes flash in anger at his words. Interesting. But it wasn't her or the Headmaster, who provided the answer to his question, but Potter himself.

"A part of Voldemort's soul is living inside me," the boy said heatedly and rose from his seat with clenched fists. "I don't know how, but Hermione brewed this potion you recently taught us in class and that's the answer it gave me." Lily's boy looked at him with those stubborn green eyes that reminded him so much of her and waited for his reaction. Severus just darted his eyes from one person to another and waited for them to correct or scold the boy. But they just stared at Potter with a sad, hopeless expression. Merlin, were they serious?

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When he opened them again his eyes were on the girl that sat next to her friend and clutched his hand, like her life or sanity was depending on it. "Miss Granger, where would you have brewed such a fragile and difficult potion without my knowledge? It takes a full equipped potions lab for it to turn out right and I am quite sure you weren't using any of the labs downstairs. So be so kind as to let me know, which dingy place or bathroom you chose this time for your extracurricular activities."

Severus could see the Know-It-All stiffen in her chair before her brown eyes flashed with anger and resistance. "The potion wasn't contaminated and was in perfect order, Professor," the little bushy-haired witch said and raised her chin proudly. "And as my previous attempt on brewing the Draught of Insight showed, I am very well able to achieve satisfying results."

Severus had to bite the inside of his cheek to not take points from the insolent child for its insulting tone, but he guessed that doing this wouldn't have been wise in presence of the Gryffindor-loving Headmaster and her Head of the House. Still, his fingers itched to do just that. But he wouldn't let himself be provoked by the little minx and so he looked at her with a calculated, cool expression instead. "That might very well be, but I still have to make sure that the potion Mr Potter ingested was at least working properly and he didn't have some sorts of… hallucinations. I really don't fancy causing an uproar over something that was just a figment of Mr Potters imagination."

The Granger girl nodded solemnly. "That is only reasonable, I guess. I do have the other vial containing the potion with me if this would be of any help to you, Sir." Without waiting for his answer she handed him a small vial that she had stored inside of her robes and it only took him a brief look and a sniff at the substance to come to the conclusion, that the potion was indeed flawless. He closed the small glass container again, recast the stasis charm and pocketed it inside of his own robes before he looked at the annoying student with a dark expression.

"Where did you brew the potion Miss Granger?" he asked her directly and in a collected voice. And even though he had to give her credit for the attempt not to move, he could see her start to wiggle in her chair – good. "The secret is not mine to tell, Sir. I promised to keep it and so I can't tell you. I'm sorry." Her tone was almost polite and he could see the Headmasters lips twitch at her words, but Severus Snape was not impressed.

"As you wish, Miss Granger. That will be two weeks of detention with me, I fear." He had to work hard not to look too smug because he heard Minerva's gasp behind him, but the old, grumpy cat couldn't say a word, about the punishment not being justified – because it was. The Weasley boy had taken on the colour of a ripe tomato by now and Severus noted to himself, that it surely was rather tiring to be in such an irritable mood all the time. The boy really had to work on this self-control or otherwise, he'd have a stroke by 40. Hermione Granger, on the other hand, looked almost collected.

"Very well, Sir. Tell me what time you expect me in your office, Sir," she said and looked at him with a solemn expression. He had no doubt though, that the girl was at least a little bit wounded, as he was pretty sure that she had only been in detention once or twice and never for such a long time.

"I'll expect you there today and every following day at 7 in the evening, including the weekends," he said and turned his attention to Potter. "Well, Mr Potter as for your unfortunate condition…"

But he didn't get any further, as he was promptly interrupted by Dumbledore himself. "You must teach him Occlumency, Severus. It will only help to a certain extent, I fear, but it is all we have until we find a more permanent solution."

Severus didn't like the sound of that at all. If there was really a piece of the Dark Lord's soul inside the boy, then there were only very few possibilities for how this could have happened. And he didn't know a single way to get rid of such a soul piece without… Merlin, the boy would have to die and by the look of it, Dumbledore was already aware of that. And Severus would bet his good arm, that he didn't intend telling anyone of that fact, old manipulative bastard!

"Very well, Headmaster. I'll teach him," he said and looked at Lily's son with a calculating expression. "Mr Potter, I expect you at my office every Saturday after lunch. If somebody asks, you are taking additional Potions Classes to improve your poor performance in class. Considering your poor grades I'm pretty sure that no one will think twice about it."

With that, he turned away from the boy, without waiting for an answer and looked at the Headmaster with a distant expression. "Is there anything else you need me for, Headmaster?"

The old man looked at him with blue eyes that were missing the ever-present twinkle. "Thank you, Severus, this will be all." He replied politely and nodded. And Severus could not help but feel relieved, that he was finally allowed to stumble back into his own rooms. He had no doubt that he wouldn't be in the mood to read his Potion's article today. But at least he could use the seclusion of his chambers to sort out the variety of thoughts that were buzzing through his head because just like that his situation had gotten even more complicated and hopeless. But he also realized that he wasn't the most unlucky bastard in the room any longer. That position went to Harry Potter now and Severus realized that he really felt sorry for the boy. Nobody deserved such a fate, not even James Potter's son.

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The three friends walked back into the Gryffindor common room in complete silence. Each one of them seemed to have their own shock to process and so they didn't feel like talking very much. Hermione wouldn't have thought it possible, but her life had just gotten even more complicated, and they weren't even a month into the new school year.

Harry's condition scared her more than she would ever let him know. Having a part of Voldemort's soul inside him could have all sorts of terrible consequences. Who knew if You-Know-Who wouldn't even be able to control her friend with time, or to corrupt him so that he would turn against them. Or he could simply listen in to whatever went on around her friend, which wasn't a big problem as long as nothing exciting happened. But did their enemy already spy out the location of the headquarters of the Order? Or what would happen if Harry suddenly discovered the identity of the Open Link? Would Voldemort know?

They would have to be careful around Harry, no longer tell him things of importance and Hermione could already imagine how well this would sit with her temperamental friend. Harry hated to be excluded, to know that somebody withheld things from him on purpose. But that was exactly what they would have to do, wasn't it? How long would their friendship survive all the secrets? And could she, as a muggle-born, even still feel safe in Harry's presence?

"Merlin Hermione, I'm sorry for the detention," Harry said and threw himself into one of the empty wingback chairs that were standing close to the windows. For a moment Hermione hadn't even realized that they were already back in the common room, but when she looked around now she could see that almost all the seats were already occupied by busy Gryffindor students. Another look through the windows in front of her told her that evening was already approaching and that it couldn't be too long until dinner and her first detention with Snape afterwards. She sighed.

"It's alright, Harry. It's only for two weeks. Luckily I've already been working ahead, so it should interfere with my school work too much."

Ron snorted before he stretched out on the sofa to Harry's left. "No, but it still means seeing the old bat every evening for two weeks. And I'm pretty sure he won't make it pleasant for you."

"No, I'm sure he won't. He was pretty angry at me before," Hermione agreed and combed her hand through her hair. "But I'm sure it's nothing I can't take. So don't worry about me too much." She put on a brave smile for them. "Anyway, I'll try to finish the essay for Professor Flitwick before dinner. See you later, boys." With that and a wave, Hermione retreated into her blissfully empty dorm. She didn't really have to finish the essay, as she had already done so yesterday, but she really needed some undisturbed time for herself. Because there was a lot she needed to think about.

It was barely two hours later when Hermione stood in front of Professor Snape's office. She didn't have much of an appetite during dinner as her stomach was still in tight knots and refused everything but dry bread and water. And even the few bites she had taken of that she had almost to force down her throat. But it wouldn't help her to sit in Snape's detention with a growling stomach.

She had barely knocked as the door already opened and a gloomy-looking Potions Professor stood in front of her with a foreboding smile on his lips and Hermione needed all her courage not to stumble a step back from him.

"Come in," he said in his deep voice and turned around to retreat back into the room. Hermione swallowed heavily before she took a deep breath and followed him inside. She had never been to his office before but the place was everything she had expected to find when she entered a place that was regularly used by the grumpy Professor. All the furniture was of dark brown wood. Aside from a huge desk that was laden with countless papers and essays, there were two rather uncomfortable-looking chairs and numerous shelves that took up almost all the space along the walls. Some of them were filled with containers full of gruesome-looking potions ingredients but most of them held a large number of expensive and old books which Hermione would have loved to explore. But she was pretty sure that her teacher wouldn't be very forthcoming if she asked him to let her browse through his book collection.

"Are you quite finished staring at my personal belongings, Miss Granger?" Professor Snape asked her with a dark expression. "Because I'd rather start with this detention of yours or otherwise I'll be forced to endure your presence for even longer than two weeks."

She nodded with clenched teeth. "Yes, Professor Snape, Sir," she said as politely as she could manage. "What will I be doing for you today, Sir?"

For a moment the man in front of her didn't answer and he could see that he was studying her with a somewhat dark expression. Whatever he was looking for, he must have found it, as his eyes suddenly left her person and he looked at one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Sit, Miss Granger. I'd like to have a little conversation with you first."

She looked up at him in surprise. "As you wish, Sir." Hermione didn't hesitate and picked the right chair for herself. There she folded her hands in her lap and waited until the Professor had taken his seat behind the desk. Hermione knew better than to address him, without being invited to do so and therefore she decided to wait until he told her about the task that he intended her to fulfil.

"Well, Miss Granger," Professor Snape finally started and folded his hands in front of his chin. "I am pretty sure you are aware of the danger your little friend and therefore everyone associated with him is in. Having a part of somebody's soul inside oneself is never a good thing, no matter what other nonsense some romantic fools might spout. It is only a matter of time until the Dark Lord will be able to read Potter's thoughts and I wouldn't think it behind him that he could even use your friend to read the thoughts of people surrounding him as well." He looked at her with dark, unfathomable eyes and Hermione felt a shudder run down her spine.

"That's what I feared, Sir," she said and suddenly Hermione felt small and lost when she thought about what might lie in front of her and her friends. She didn't even know where to start if she wanted to drag them out of this mess and she could feel her shoulders getting heavy under this kind of liability.

"As you know I agreed to teach Mr Potter some degree of Occlumency and even though I am an excellent teacher in the field I doubt that your friend will be able to learn it very well from me. You might be aware that I am working as a double agent for the Order and therefore I'll have to keep up my façade as the Dark Lord's loyal servant."

Hermione stared at the man with wide eyes. Why was he telling her all this? She wasn't even a member of the Order, yet. But she kept her mouth shut and concentrated on Professor Snape's words, as she knew he must have a good reason for telling her those things.

"At the moment we do not know if the Dark Lord is even aware of the connection between him and Mister Potter and therefore able to read his thoughts. But I have no doubt that it will be only a matter of time and therefore we all need to be very careful what we do in Mr Potter's presence."

Hermione nodded mutely and stared at her Professor. But her throat felt suddenly dry and even if she would have known what to say at that, she probably wouldn't have been able to manage more than a few hoarse words.

"Therefore I will not be able to teach your friend properly, as it would endanger my position as a spy and I really cannot afford to risk that."

"You're not teaching him, Sir? But you said that…" She didn't get any further, as the man just interrupted her mid-sentence.

"I said I would teach him, yes. But I won't be able to teach him well enough to learn something that would only be a little useful. Nonetheless, your friend still needs to learn to defend himself, which is the reason you are now sitting here with me, Miss Granger."

Something flashed behind the Professor's dark eyes and suddenly Hermione felt like a deer in the headlights. Her heart started to flutter nervously in her chest and she had to wipe her clammy hands on her robe, as she contemplated what she had just been told. "You want to teach me Occlumency instead, in the hope that I can teach Harry," she summarized her thoughts and stared at the man in shock. "But, this detention is only going for two weeks and until yesterday I didn't even know that such a magical discipline even exists."

But Professor Snape didn't seem worried in the least and looked at her with confidence, that spoke of years of experience. "I will assign you a lot of homework, Miss Granger. I won't lie to you. These will most likely be the worst two weeks of your life, as we don't have the luxury of doing this slowly. I will give you this evening to read through a book that will explain the basics to you. You will not be allowed to take it with you, after leaving this office, so I encourage you to make sure you have everything memorized before you close this door behind you." Professor Snape studied her with his dark, almost black eyes and Hermione could feel goosebumps starting to spread on her skin. "Tomorrow we will start your training. For that, I will have to try to break into your mind, which will not be pleasant, to put it mildly. Most likely you will not be able to keep anything hidden from me for the first days and I have no doubt this will be at least a humiliating if not a violent experience for you. But it's the only way to teach you the required techniques."

Hermione nodded and looked at her Professor with wide eyes. She could feel her body shaking all over and she was pretty sure that the man could sense her fear and uneasiness quite easily. But luckily he refrained from commenting on it. "What if I do have secrets that I don't want to be exposed, Sir?" she asked in an uneasy, small voice but she forced herself to look him into the eyes as she did so. "I didn't lie when I told you, that I can't tell you where I brewed the Draught of Insight, sir. I gave my word, Sir and I don't want to break it."

The man in front of her sighed. "It is your decision, Miss Granger. You can, of course, decide to use these two weeks to clean cauldrons and prepare potions ingredients for me. But I would strongly advise you against it."

Hermione nodded. She knew that she didn't really have a choice on that matter as Harry would have to learn to defend his mind as fast as possible and being able to teach him was worth almost every price. She sighed. "Could you… could you at least promise, that you will not act on the knowledge you discover from my mind, Sir? I don't care about my personal secrets, but please don't start punishing others, for sharing their secrets with me."

Hermione knew she wasn't in the position to ask this of him, but she had to try anyway. And she was rewarded for it when her teacher looked at her with a tired but slightly amused expression. "You are a loyal friend, Miss Granger. Very well, I will promise you, that nothing I learn from your mind will leave this room. Any other concerns?"

She shook her head with a grateful smile. "No Sir, thank you, Sir."

"Very well," Professor Snape said and slid an old-looking, leather-bound book across his desk. "I'm sure I don't have to remind you to be careful with this. Take as much time reading it today, as you need. I will supply you with a note if you decide to leave my office after curfew."

He lazily waved his wand and without him uttering a single word, the chair to her left transformed into a cosy looking, dark-green armchair. "Now read, Miss Granger. But I must ask you to refrain from asking your millions of questions until tomorrow. Today I am quite busy, as you see."

Hermione looked at him with a hesitant expression and nodded. She could have sworn, that there was a scientific article in front of him, something about poisons and potions, but she surely wouldn't be stupid enough to ask him about it. She really didn't want to stress her luck any further today.


	11. Chapter 11

A.N.: A big thank you to Multilingualism for betaing another chapter!

Chapter 11: Everything I do for you

"Oi, where's Hermione?" Fred couldn't help but ask when he sighted his brother and Harry together on one of the sofas in the Common Room. Hermione was nowhere in sight though, which was quite atypical at this time of the day. It wasn't rare that the girl spent her afternoons in the library, but after dinner, she could usually be found with her friends doing homework, but not so today. Fred had seen her during dinner in the Great Hall but in stark contrast to yesterday evening, when her face glowed with excitement and happiness, she almost looked grey and depressed while she pushed her food around on her plate without eating it. It didn't take a genius to figure out that there was something wrong with his witch and he was determined to find out what it was.

"She's in detention with Snape," Ron replied sourly from his spot on the sofa, where he scribbled on one of the essays that were most likely due tomorrow.

"Detention? What did she do?" George asked next to him in a curious tone.

Ron and Harry looked at each other for a moment, but finally, Harry shrugged nonchalantly and Ron said: "She brewed a potion as you might know. Snape asked her which place she used for it, as he was convinced that one would need a fully equipped lab for getting a drinkable result. Hermione refused to answer him, though."

Fred snorted, even though his insides warmed at the realization that Hermione rather went into detention than betraying their trust. Not that he had expected anything else from his favourite witch, but it was nice to see his trust confirmed. "Oh my, I can see how the old bat didn't like that at all," he finally said with an amused grin. But his little brother didn't seem to find it funny at all.

"He wasn't. He gave her detention for two weeks, can you imagine?" Ron complained and Harry only nodded, before he continued brooding on the sofa. What was it with those boys today?

"That's hard," George replied almost solemnly. "But Hermione 's a big girl. She will be fine. And it's not like he can do much worse with her then letting her scrub cauldrons and slice flobberworms, right?"

They all nodded in unison, totally oblivious to the fact that Snape could indeed do much more to Hermione than just that.

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It was a reckless plan to teach the girl Occlumency in two weeks, but it was all Severus had for now. He couldn't have justified more detention in front of Minerva and Albus and as it was in his interest that his doings remained a secret, for now, he'd make do with what he had. But it would be a close call, even if he brought the girl to her limits, which he already decided would be necessary. She'd probably hate him afterwards if she didn't already do so anyway, but Severus had never particularly cared about what others thought of him. He would do what was necessary to protect the girl and Potter if the boy could even be protected from his fate. That remained to be seen.

Well, Miss Granger was at least motivated and possessed a certain degree of intelligence, which was a blessing in their situation. She followed his instruction to a tee and after she had positioned herself in the armchair he provided for her, she didn't say a word until she finished reading through the book around midnight. He wondered if she would give up halfway through, as he could see that she was hungry and tired after having sat with him for three hours. But Hermione Granger didn't complain and just shifted her position before she kept reading on. When she finally slipped away from his office, she did so with wishing him a good night politely but without making a big fuss. Hell, if the girl was this silent and disciplined in class, he could have almost started to like her.

It was seven on the dot the next day when the knock sounded at his office door and without many words he invited her in. She looked a bit better than yesterday, even though there were dark circles under her eyes and she was obviously nervous, as she kept gnawing on her bottom lip while she looked at him with big brown eyes. "Good evening, Professor Snape," she greeted him with a neutral voice and followed him into his office. There he could see her eyes travel towards his book collection before she forced them back on his person. Well, at least he tried to reign her curiosity in.

"Sit," he invited her and motioned towards the armchair that was still left from their last session. He hadn't taken the effort to transfigure it back, as he already knew that they would need it again today. "Well, Miss Granger, tell me how much you understood from reading the book I provided for you."

The girl nodded enthusiastically and straightened in front of him before she said: "From what I gathered, Occlumency is more about mental discipline than about magical potential. It somehow reminds me of meditation, combined with different visualisation techniques that can be used, to store knowledge or memories within the mind."

He nodded mutely and gave her a sign to go on and she did so without complaint. "I once read about a similar technique that is used to enhance the capacity of your memory and I found this approach quite fascinating. What I don't understand is, how best to protect the memories, once they are stored in the mind accordingly. Is this about distraction? Or is there an effective way to improve one's mental defences that makes the invasion of the mind difficult, in the first place?"

"A skilled Occlumens uses both ways to protect the memories important to him. My mind is regularly invaded by the Dark Lord himself, as he is not the most trusting of men. I am only still alive because I let him find memories and thoughts of me being his most loyal servant and hide all the others that say otherwise." Severus couldn't hide the small smile gracing his lips as he saw the expression of surprise on Miss Granger's face. "But if somebody else encounters a Legillimentic attack, a more upfront approach might serve him better. It always depends on the person's character and mental abilities."

The girl nodded and continued gnawing on her bottom lip. He could see that it was already bleeding in one place and he had to hold himself back to not scold her for it. If Miss Granger liked to hurt herself, it wasn't his business, after all.

"I see," she finally said and looked at him hesitantly. "What if I tried to build a huge place in my mind, where it is simply impossible to find the memories you are looking for. Could that work?"

He weighed his head in consideration. "It could. But it would need a lot of concentration and mental exercise to do so. It isn't just about building the place and storing the memories, Miss Granger. Could you still keep your mental image upright under torture or strong mental pressure?"

The little witch stared at him with wide, shocked eyes. "Torture? I… I am aware that these lessons aren't just about helping Harry, as I can also get a lot of use out of them. But do you really expect it to get that bad?"

Severus looked at her with a serious expression. "If what I think is true, then the Dark Lord is even more powerful than we so far expected. Killing him will be at least difficult if not almost impossible. Let me be frank with you: I think this war is going to get very ugly very soon. You are a muggle-born, Miss Granger and Harry Potter's friend at that. If the Death Eaters ever manage to get you into their fingers, then expect to be raped, tortured and finally killed. I have seen it countless times, Miss Granger. In the last war, there have been hundreds of Muggles and countless muggle-borns. It was always the same, none of them escaped."

For a moment he feared that he had broken her as she simply sat motionlessly on her armchair and stared into the distance. There wasn't a single muscle moving in her face, not even to torture her poor lip any further. But finally, she snapped out of her trance and looked at him with determination in her eyes. "Alright, thank you for being honest with me, Professor. I really do appreciate it." She nodded and looked at him with an almost shy smile. "I don't have any more questions, Sir. If there is nothing else you want to tell me then I am ready to start."

"Always so eager," he thought without saying it out aloud. Instead he just nodded and took out his wand from his sleeve. "As you wish. I advise you to stay seated for now as it is common to lose balance under a mental attack very easily. And I expect you don't want to find yourself on the floor." He smirked and fixed her brown eyes. "Brace yourself, girl."

He saw Miss Granger stiffen on the chair and grab the armrests with both hands. He granted her a moment to collect herself before he cast the spell to enter her mind. She made it easy for him, as she kept eye contact and so it didn't take much of his concentration to sink into the brown orbs and plunge into her mind. He had expected to find the chaos that was so common for hormonal teenagers, but instead, he found himself in a small muggle bedroom that was most likely her own. Interesting. He took his time to look around and noted the neatly-made bed and the delightful absence of pink and other optically insulting colours that could have been expected in a teenage girl's bedroom. There were no stuffed animals, no sappy posters or anything else he would have expected and instead there were neutral beige walls, a huge desk and several shelves that were filled to the brim with books. The desk was laden with scientific equipment, a computer and several notebooks. Huh. The girl had really managed to organize her mind in what? 12 hours? Or had she already started these mental exercises before? Before he knew what he was doing he strolled over to the desk and grabbed one of the notebooks, but when he opened them it was like staring into a muggle TV, as he was suddenly sucked into a whole different scene. There was the girl and the Weasley-twins. They were playing some sort of water ball-game and he could clearly feel the admiration the girl felt for the mischievous redheads. Really? Well, this was unexpected. He forced himself to watch the scene a moment longer and he caught a glimpse of what must have been the girl's parents, before he decided that it was enough and he retreated from her mind.

It was just in time, as she looked like had almost slid from her chair. Her whole body was sagged sideways before she recovered from his mental attack. "Ugh," she moaned and shook her head in confusion before she pulled herself upright again and looked at him in defeat. "Well, that wasn't very successful I guess."

But he just looked at her with a raised brow. "No? You kept your focus on your mental image under mental assault. That was more than I expected on the first attempt. You just made it too easy for me to find something interesting. Do you want to try again?"

The bushy-haired witch nodded with determination. "Of course, Sir. We only have two weeks, after all, and I am determined to use them to learn as much as I can. And I'm sure if it gets too much, you have a headache potion hidden somewhere in your desk."

He snorted at her cheek. Was this really the same girl that had grated on his nerves for years? "Probably. I'm sure I'll need it when I am finished watching all your teenage fantasies," he replied dryly and just as he had anticipated he saw the colour rise in her cheeks. It was enough to paint another smile on his face. Well, maybe these two weeks wouldn't turn out to be as tedious as he had expected, after all.

sssssssss

It was past midnight when Hermione finally made it back into the common room. She was beyond exhausted and her head still felt like it had turned into a beehive with hundreds of little striped inhabitants, even though Professor Snape had kindly handed her a Headache Potion after three hours of Occlumency training. She hated having him in her mind, having him sniff out every secret or embarrassing memory she had so carefully tried to hide from him. She was pretty sure there wasn't much more for him to find out by now and Hermione could only hope that he would keep his promise and not go after the twins because of their secret lab. It had taken him some time to find the memory, as Hermione had chosen to hide it in the bottom row in her bookshelf, but of course, he had found it anyway. She needed a bigger place to store her memories and more importantly, more unimportant memories to distract whoever tried to break into her mind. She already had an idea what she wanted to achieve in the end, but would she have the mental discipline to do it? Well, it wasn't like she had much of a choice anyway. From what Professor Snape told her, it was only a matter of time, until the Death Eaters came for her. And she would be damned if she wouldn't be prepared for that.

"Look who's finally made it back from detention with our favourite dungeon-bat," a casual voice surprised her, as she was just about to climb up the stairs to the girls' dorms. When she hastily turned around she saw Fred and George lounge on one of the sofas close to the fireplace and look at her with a matching smile on their faces.

"Fred? George? You're up late…" she said weakly and stared at them with a tired expression. She really didn't feel like having another rollercoaster-ride of emotions tonight, but that was exactly what happened every time she started talking to them.

"We waited for you to see if you're alright," George replied and was on his feet a second later. In five big strides, he was at her side and his brother wasn't far behind. "Did Snape keep you with him for that long?"

Hermione groaned inwardly. There was no escaping them today, she realised, not if she didn't want to be unfriendly and leave them there without an answer. "Yeah," she replied weakly and her lips morphed into a tired smile. "He's got a lot of work for me, I guess. But that's alright, it's worth it."

"We really appreciate that you are keeping our secret," Fred said in a low voice and before she knew what happened, he took her hand into his. "If you need anything and if it's just somebody to cheer you up, let me know, alright?"

Her mouth went dry as she felt his thumb slowly trace the knuckles of her hand while he looked at her with huge brown eyes. For a moment she wanted to snatch her hand back, but after a moment of hesitation, she simply allowed herself to enjoy his attentions and relaxed. "Thank you, Fred."

"How about we treat you to a new book on Saturday?" George asked with a kind smile and glowing eyes. "It's only one more day until then and you could spend your next detention thinking about which one you'd like."

Hermione could feel the blush creeping up on her again. "Which one I like, huh?" she thought and started chewing on her already swollen bottom lip. "Well, that's the problem, isn't it? It's impossible for me to decide." And by that Hermione didn't mean books at all. Merlin, maybe she should just tell them, that this was a bad idea. She felt more and more like they were wooing her, but was it fair to give them both hope, if there could only be one in the end? Maybe she should just forget about the both of them and direct her confused teenage hormones to somebody else… "Yeah, this would definitely make the hours until the weekend more bearable," she heard herself say instead and groaned inwardly. "But you really don't have to buy me anything. I'm sure we'll have a nice afternoon no matter what."

Instantly she was awarded a sunny smile from both. "I'm sure we will," Fred agreed and pressed her hand softly before he finally let go of her. And Hermione noted that her hand felt cold without his touch, all of a sudden.

"See you on Saturday, then?" she asked and looked at Fred and George with a shy smile.

"Sure," they said and beamed at her with matching expressions. Whom was she kidding anyway? She was too far gone for these two pranksters to even consider somebody else right now, even though she was pretty sure that having feelings for both of them could only end in a disaster.


	12. Chapter 12

A.N.: This chapter was kindly betaed by Multilingualism. Thank you, my friend!

Chapter 12: The perfect solution

„Well Freddy, how do we want to do this?" George asked his twin while they were readying themselves for their trip to Hogsmead. The weekend was finally there and as Hermione had to be back for her detentions with Snape in time, she had agreed to already meet them at 10 to start their trip to the village early. "Should we split up and divide the time with Hermione equally between us? Or should we just go all together?"

It was the question that had been in his head for days but George had to realize, that he himself simply couldn't find an answer to it.

"Good question, Georgie," Fred answered while he pulled one of their mum's knitted jumpers over his head. The brothers didn't mind wearing them at all, even though Ron always pulled a face when he received another one. But George always saw how much time their mum invested in making them and when one had six other siblings, then each minute his mum invested in him was a special gift. And so he wore his sweaters with pride, as did Fred. "I think the question is, what we want from this date. Do we just want her to get to know us better? Or do we hope for a snog or a cuddle?"

George snorted. "Oh, I really wouldn't mind a good snog. The question is if we wouldn't scare Hermione away if we attempted something like that today."

Fred hummed in agreeance. "Yeah, she's been kind of skittish around us, hasn't she? It's like she's about to bolt from the room any second, but then she never does."

George combed his hair with his hands and nodded. "Yeah. We're probably a bit much for her. So what do we do? Should we just test the waters and give her some more time to get to know us?"

His brother shrugged. "Couldn't hurt, I guess. And it's not like we're in a hurry, right? Luckily the rest of the school are idiots that can't see what they are missing out."

He chuckled. "Good for us, I guess. Well then, in this case, I suppose we can as well stay together. Didn't feel like going without you anyway."

Fred answered him with a clap on the back. "Awwww Georgie, one day you'll have to get used to leaving me alone with a girl, at least from time to time." He winked at him.

"Yeah right," George replied with a snort. "The day you'll marry will be the darkest day of my life, brother mine. But this day is not today." With that, he gave his brother a slight shove towards the door. "And now out with you. I'm almost sure there's a pretty girl waiting for you."

"And for you, brother," Fred replied with a wide grin. "And for you."

ssssssss

Hermione didn't feel like going out at all. The week had been a brutal one and with brewing Harry's potion, spending an afternoon in Dumbledore's office and having detention with Snape every evening from there on, there hadn't been much time left for her homework. And Hermione's fingers and brain itched to get started with this, but of course, she had to keep the promise she had given George and Fred, even if it meant that she would have to do a nightshift if he wanted to be able to finish everything until Monday.

Fred and George had agreed to meet her in the entrance hall and much to her surprise both of them were already there and waited for her with a wide smile.

"Hello, Hermione," George greeted her casually while he kept his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. "I'm glad you could make it. I'm sure you're awfully busy with all those detentions but you also look like you really need a break."

Hermione nodded wistfully and halted in front of them. "Yeah, I'm so much behind in my homework. I'll probably have to do some of it tonight after I finished my detention, but that's alright. I can survive with a little less sleep for a while." She smiled weakly at them.

"We'll worry about your homework later, Hermione. Come, let's go, then we'll have the village almost to ourselves." Fred offered her his hand and wiggled his fingers in invitation. A moment later George did the same on her other side and smiled encouragingly. For a moment she just stared at them and she could already feel her heartbeat speed up with something that felt like panic, but finally, she forced herself to take a calming breath and took the offered hands into hers. And promptly she was awarded a happy smile and an encouraging squeeze of her hand from her redheads.

"Alright, you two, where do we want to go first?" Fred asked and started walking. Hermione easily fell into step with him and it was just a moment before the fresh autumn breeze welcomed her outside.

"I don't know, boys. It was your idea to drag me along," Hermione replied with a shrug. "As long as I can stock up on some writing materials and look through the bookstore I'm alright."

Fred snorted before he looked at her with twinkling eyes and a smile. "Don't worry. We'll go there first and afterwards Georgie and I need to make a quick stop at Zonko's. But don't worry Hermione, it will only be a few minutes."

She laughed. "You really don't need to stress yourself. If I was with Harry and Ron I'd at least spent half an hour in there. And I really don't mind…"

"We know you don't," George assured her and stroked the knuckles of her hand with his thumb. "But today is about having fun and fun we'll have. Fred and I are so-called experts in that area."

"Which means that you are in capable hands," Fred finished for him and grinned. Hermione blushed. Why did her mind convert almost everything they said into something else? She knew what they meant, so why did she suddenly have to think about them and their hands in a totally different context? Fred could bury them into her hair and play with her curls while he… no, stop… she really needed to focus.

"I never doubted your talent for having fun, boys, quite the contrary actually," Hermione hastily replied and smiled.

"Don't tell us you're afraid of having too much fun," Fred grinned just as they had reached the small footpath, which would lead them down to the village. "Because there isn't such a thing as too much fun." Hermione smiled. She always enjoyed the view she had from this spot, but especially today. Autumn was already in full swing by now and so the sun painted the forest around them in vibrant yellow, orange and red. It was beautiful! And suddenly she was happy that the twins had forced her to go outside today, even though she would probably regret that decision later.

"If you say so," she finally said to Fred with a little smile.

"Absolutely," he replied, let go of her hand and put his arm around her back instead. "And George and I are going to prove it to you today. You'll see."

Not even an hour later the three of them were finished with all the errands they had to run in the village. The twins had made quick work at Zonko's and only purchased a few items each, which totally surprised her. But when she asked them after it, they just smiled and said that they preferred using their own products by now and that the things they purchased were only meant for research. Hermione could already imagine how those two would retreat into their little secret lab and do just that. And for a moment she wanted nothing more than being at her side and doing just that. But of course, the thought was ridiculous. Why should she do such a thing? She didn't even like pranking people. But the emotion was there, she could almost see herself at their side tinkering with one of their products when she closed her eyes, and the thought of doing so warmed her chest and made her heart beat with happiness. She could only blame the crush she had developed on the twins for it.

"What's next?" she asked in the hope to distract herself from those thoughts. George's hand was back in hers before she knew it and he pulled her towards the border of the village with a promising smile.

"I'd say we eat something. I don't know how it's for you Hermione, but I'm starving," he said and his brother grinned with a nod.

She slowed her steps in confusion. "But shouldn't we head in this direction, then? I told you I'm not setting a foot into Madam Puddifoots with the two of you…"

Fred grinned. "Then it's good that this is not where we are going. George and I thought something a bit more private might be better."

Hermione blushed, of course she did. She should have gotten used to her overactive imagination by now, but obviously, that was just a hopeless wish. "What's wrong with the Three Broomsticks?" she asked hastily and realized that her voice sounded a bit high and funny while doing so. The twins didn't seem to mind though and instead just looked at her with a happy smile.

"Nothing in particular. But usually, it's full and noisy at this time of the day and I at least feel like I'd prefer a chance to rest and talk for a bit," George answered and pulled her around a corner and past Madam Puddifoot's. Suddenly they were in a part of the village Hermione hadn't been to before. Somewhere to her left was the Hog's Head, a dingy, dirty pub that Hermione and her friends had always avoided and then, a few minutes of walking further, they suddenly left the last houses of the village behind them.

"Errr, boys? Are we even allowed to be here?" she asked them and slowed her steps down uneasily. But the redheads didn't seem worried in the least and just grinned at her.

"Don't worry Mione, we're still in Hogsmeade and it's just around this corner," Fred promised and pulled her closer against him. Somehow his arm was now permanently draped around her back and after a while, Hermione had slowly gotten used to the feeling and started to enjoy this show of affection. And so she let him pull her with him, even though the nervous flutter was back in her chest. But it was forgotten, when they followed the little footpath around a corner and a little meadow that was surrounded with beautiful autumn trees appeared ahead of them.

"That's beautiful," she said and stared at the spot in awe. "Do you… is this where we're going?"

"Yupp," Fred confirmed with a grin and a wave of his wand later a large blanket appeared in front of them in the grass. "Sit down, love. You look like you could use a little break."

He didn't need to tell her twice. It was only a moment until she let herself fall on the back and stared into the sky with a happy sigh. There were only a few clouds and even though temperatures had slowly started to drop it was a brilliant, sunny day. Almost perfect for a…

"Did you guys really bring a picnic basket?" she asked with wide eyes, as she saw the two of them unpack several sandwiches, butterbeer and fruits in front of her. "How?"

"The Hogwarts house-elves have a soft spot for us and with the help of some shrinking and stasis charms, it wasn't a big deal at all," Fred replied with a shrug before he pulled a plate of biscuits out of the basket that had somehow appeared to her left. And somehow this plate of biscuits and the look on Fred's face as he placed it next to her just made her realize that for them, this really was some sort of date.

Hermione panicked and hastily pulled herself up into a sitting position. "Why did you two invite me on a date?" she asked and fixed the plate with biscuits with her eyes like they could provide the answer instead. "I… I mean I do have an idea why just… what do you expect me to do? It's… you're two and obviously…" she gesticulated wildly through the air, as the right words simply refused to come. But Hermione hoped Fred and George would be able to understand her anyway.

It was George who caught one of her hands first and grabbed them with both of his hands. "We don't expect anything from you today, Hermione. There's really no reason for you to panic right now," he assured her and looked at her with warm, brown eyes. Fred suddenly appeared next to him sitting on his legs and stared at her with a reassuring smile on his lips.

"Yeah. We know that only one of us can have you if you'll even agree to that, but don't worry Hermione. It's fine, we talked about it. We told you we don't fight and we meant it."

George nodded. "Today is just about getting to know each other a bit better and who knows? Maybe you won't like any of us at the end of the day and we'll just continue being friends or whatever…"

Hermione stared at them in disbelief. For a moment the panic that had started taking hold of her, was totally forgotten as her mind comprehended, what they were just saying. "But you both want to … date me? In the end, you want me to decide, right?"

They nodded eagerly and somehow Hermione had to close her eyes to keep her emotions in check.

"It doesn't need to be today Hermione or even next month. You can take as much time as you need," Fred assured her calmly. "I know it's not easy to…"

But he didn't get any further, because suddenly the words just wanted out. "To what? Tell you apart? Don't be ridiculous, you know I can always tell who's who. I know you two are different, that's totally not the point."

She slowly opened her eyes, as she felt a hand on her chin and she saw that Fred had taken hold of it to tilt it up. Then he stared at her with an intensity that made her heart beat in her throat. "Then what is the point, Hermione? Just tell us, love."

Hermione stared at him for a long moment, but no matter how hard she thought, there was no easy or not embarrassing way of saying this. "I do like you already, both of you. I know it's ridiculous and I'm not sure how it happened but the fact is, I could never decide, I don't want to. But of course, I know that I can't have you both. It's not fair to you and most likely not even legal."

Fred and George looked at her with a dumbstruck look in their faces and for a moment the three of them just stared at each other in silence. But finally, George started moving again and scratched his head with a sheepish look on his face. "Well, that isn't what I expected," he admitted and smiled.

"Yeah," Fred agreed with a disbelieving laugh. "I know we are both charming, but…"

Hermione couldn't help but silence him with a mild slap on his leg. "Oh stop it, Fred. It's really not funny, not for me. I'm kind of freaking out a bit, to be honest." She rubbed her face. "For me, this has been going on for weeks and I just couldn't make it stop and I know it's not normal but… arrrgh!"

"Alright, sorry," Fred apologized with a chastised voice. "I didn't know that it bothers you like this." He sighed and somehow this sound made her sadder than anything else could have.

"It's alright, sorry. I really didn't want to freak out in front of you. And I'm sorry if I kind of ruined the mood," she looked at the large assembly of food in front of them with a grimace. "I just thought that I really needed to clear things up, because leading both of you on like this just isn't fair."

They nodded solemnly.

"I guess not," George admitted and carefully took her hand. "So what shall we do? Toss a coin?" Hermione knew that he was probably trying to pull a joke to make her smile, but she really didn't feel like it at all at the moment. Instead, she sighed and gently pressed his hand.

"No, because this still would leave one of you hurt as he'd be forced to see the other two of us together. And I just don't want to do that." Hermione looked at them with pleading eyes.

"Then what?" Fred asked and looked at her with an expression that told her, he already knew what was coming next. Still, she took his right hand with her unoccupied one and looked at him with a sad smile.

"We forget about this," she said and it felt like her heart broke at her own words. Hopefully, theirs wasn't hurting as much as hers. "Let's just try to be friends instead, Okay? I know it's not what you wanted but there's really nothing else we can do."

For a moment they didn't answer but Hermione could have sworn that there was some sort of silent communication going on between them. She waited in patience while her eyes drifted back and forth between them and she took in all of the details of their faces because it was probably the last chance for her to do so. There was a freckle behind Fred's left ear that she hadn't noticed until now and George's hair just started to curl ever so slightly in his neck, now that he started wearing it longer.

"I can't believe we've just been turned down, Georgie," Fred finally said with a humoured smile on his lips. "But I guess there's always a first time." He grinned at her before he pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace. When he let go of her again a moment later, George stared at her with warm, brown eyes.

"You're not losing us over this, Hermione. But I guess you're right. Every other path would just bring sorrow and heartbreak, for at least one of us. And I must confess that it makes me like you even more, that you're refusing to do that to us. Freddie 's got a tender heart, even though he'd never admit it."

It only took a moment, before Fred delivered a friendly punch on his arm as an answer. "Oh, stop it, brother. We don't want our Hermione to get a false impression of us." With that, he winked at her before he positioned himself more casually on the blanket and offered her the plate with biscuits with a grin.

"Take one, Hermione. Because I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

She blinked at him in confusion. "You… want to continue the picnic? You're not mad or something?"

But Fred just looked at her with a boyish smile in his eyes. "Nope. We're still friends and that's great, isn't it? And as friends, we are going to have a picnic now. We promised that you'd enjoy that day, right? So take one and then let's relax."

George nodded encouragingly and snatched himself a sandwich before he lied down next to her and started to eat. "Sounds like a brilliant idea, brother."

Hermione looked at them for a moment longer, before she finally shook her head with a smile of disbelief. It really looked like they were okay with her suggestion to just be friends. She should feel relieved now, shouldn't she? So why didn't she? Stopping this nonsense, before one of them got hurt, really was the best idea, because otherwise there would only be more heartbreak and pain in front of them. So why didn't she feel relieved that they had finally come clear? She could move on now and these ridiculous feelings could finally come to an end, which was a good thing right? But it totally didn't feel like it.

"Yeah, absolutely brilliant," Hermione finally agreed and took a biscuit for herself. She guessed she'd just have to get used to this new relationship with them. Because being friends was a good thing, it was, in fact, the perfect solution, her heart just needed to realize that, too.

sssssssss

A.N.: I know you don't like this. But think about it. They're all so young and the won't simply start a triad. If they really go that way, then they all need a bit more tie to realize, that this is what they want.


	13. Chapter 13

A.N.: This chapter was betaed by my friend Multilingualism. Thank you so much for your help!

Chapter 13: Blackout

Potter's first Occlumency lesson was a disaster, very much like Severus had intended it to be. Severus didn't even have to make much of an effort to alienate the boy, as their dislike for each other was mutual and Potter really had a bad temper on top of that. It would have been difficult to teach him some mental discipline in the first place and he really didn't envy the Granger girl that she would be the one who'd have to do it in the end. But the girl had the patience of a saint and had the bonus of being his friend, so if there was anybody who could give the boy a chance to defend his mind then it was her.

"Come in, Miss Granger," he told her, as she knocked at his door right in time. She was never late, never unfriendly or disrespectful towards him, even though he hadn't coddled her and commented on every embarrassing memory he found, just to let her feel some sort of consequence of not being able to protect her secrets accordingly.

"Good evening, Professor Snape," Miss Granger greeted him back and entered his room. Something was different about her today, he realized immediately and he didn't mean it in a good way. The girl seemed even more tired than usual and her whole demeanour seemed sad and wound up at the same time. Well, but as long as it didn't influence her concentration during their lesson, he didn't really care. He'd already had his share of teenage drama during the last weeks.

"Let's see about that, shall we, Miss Granger? Your friend really managed to grate on my patience today and I'm sure he'll be complaining about his lessons with me later on."

The girl sighed tiredly but didn't comment. Instead, she walked to her assigned armchair and sunk into it with a huff of resignation. Well, obviously Severus wasn't the only one having a shitty day and he was just about to make it worse for her.

"Brace yourself, Miss Granger," he warned and only a second later he started to cast. By now he had gotten used to the girl's mind and he was prepared to find himself back in her neat bedroom, from where he would usually start exploring all the new rooms she had added to it day by day. But if he had ever had a question about her mental condition then it was answered when he took in the chaos that waited for him in her head. It was like a tornado had raged in the place, as all books and papers were strewn on the floor and some pages were even torn out of them. For a moment he looked at the picture in speechlessness and he had to remind himself, that this was just a mental image and there was no reason to scold the girl for wracking her bookshelf. Where should he even start in this mess? Should he try one of the other rooms instead or would he find the same amount of devastation there? He carefully stepped outside her bedroom and peeked down the wide hallway that led to another large library and her parent's bedroom, as he knew by now. But nothing seemed amiss there and so he decided to inspect the chaos behind him instead. If there was a reason for the girl's mental breakdown then it surely could be found here. And wasn't that a worthy goal for today's Occlumency training?

He turned around and lowered himself to the floor. The first book he picked up was a copy of "History of Hogwarts" and when he opened it he had to realize that it really was just that. Had the girl really memorized the whole book for god's sake? He started reading and really, he could have sworn that the text was almost identical to what he remembered from his own copy and he couldn't help being fascinated. But just as he was about to start reading another page, the whole scenery suddenly shifted and everything around him turned black. Suddenly there was nothing, not the room, not the books but not even the usual disarray and flood of pictures he found when he entered an untrained mind. Instead, there was just darkness around him and nothing else. That shouldn't have happened, Severus thought and with a feeling of uneasiness, he decided to leave her mind. It wasn't a moment too soon, he realized because when he searched for her he found her on the floor next to his armchair. Never before she had fallen off and when he stepped closer he realized that she must simply have passed out and lost consciousness. Hastily Severus kneeled down next to her, felt her pulse and checked the reaction of her eyes. Miss Granger had really passed out with him still being in her mind, which had never happened before or never should have happened at all. But there was not much he could do for her now and so he simply decided to prop up her legs and monitor her. For a moment he even considered taking her to the infirmary but he could only imagine what would happen, if it became known, that Miss Granger had passed out during detention with him. The gossip it would lead to would be an absolute nightmare to deal with and he was pretty sure that the girl would be forbidden to return to another detention with him. But their lessons were far from finished and so this had to be avoided at all costs. Luckily he was quite well-stocked with potions and was very well versed with healing charms as well. And so he was pretty sure that there wasn't much Poppy would do, that he wasn't able to do himself for his student.

He cast a simple monitoring charm over her and studied the results with furrowed brows. The girl's energy levels were dangerously low and they were continuing to fall even further, even though she should definitely be recovering by now. For Merlin's sake, the girl was resting on his floor but still, her magic seemed to trickle out of her like someone had just pulled a stopper or something. But that shouldn't even be possible until... could it be that Hermione Granger was the Open Link? He cursed before he cast another monitoring charm on her and then another. There was nothing physically wrong with her apart from a slight deficit on nutrition, which was most likely due to the fact that the girl had skipped some meals to be able to keep up with her homework. But apart from that, she was fine and as there was no spell for directly showing the state of her magical core, his theory with the Open Link was the only explanation right now and he'd have to stick with it until he had proof.

Severus took a deep breath. Alright, that was not the right moment for him to lose his nerves. He would have enough time to go over the implications of this realisation later. But first, he had to save the girl, because if things went on like that there was no saying what would happen to her. No matter what he did, it would only be a temporary fix, as the girl obviously needed a linking partner soon. Severus dashed from his room into his lab and summoned a variety of different restorative potions. It only took him seconds, before he was back at her side and gently forced the first one down her throat. It was followed by a second and third one before he made the quick decision to transfigure the sofa in his sitting room into a comfortable single bed and carry the girl towards it. He blocked the floo connection and carefully warded the door to his rooms, as he really wasn't keen on having any surprises, while he had a student in his rooms before he lifted her from the floor. She wasn't big or heavy by any means but without being conscious and supporting him, she was still a dead weight that made him regret not having levitated her. But Severus had the faint hope that the physical contact to him could help her body to feel grounded in some way but as he wasn't completely sure how these things worked, he couldn't know. The Dark Lord had been very brief with the information he gave him, barely enough to find the Open Link but not enough to know how one formed an attachment. The man was paranoid to the boot, after all, and even though Severus seemed to be trusted enough to search for the Open Link, he wasn't intended to claim it for himself. That was until fate had decided to make him an unexpected gift and place the sought out person right on his doorstep. He was pretty sure the girl didn't even know herself what was wrong with her and so he was pretty convinced that apart from him nobody had the faintest idea that Hermione Granger was, in fact, most likely the Open Link. One could call it a stroke of luck, or fate but to Severus, it looked like the tide was just about to turn. He had been dealt a shitty set of cards at the beginning of this game, but suddenly he had gotten his hands on a Joker. And Severus would be damned if he would let this chance slip away from him that easily. He was a Slytherin after all and as such he knew how to survive.

sssssssss

When Hermione awoke she felt as well-rested as she hadn't in weeks. The constant buzz in her head had somewhat faded into the background and the aching in her limbs, which had plagued her during the last days, was barely even noticeable any longer. She had almost felt good, if there wasn't this sudden emptiness in her chest that had befallen her, after having come clear with the twins. But she was sure she'd start feeling better with time when she'd finally finished her last lesson with Snape and had some more time to finish her work again.

"Have you finished napping on my sofa?" a well-known baritone pulled her out of her thoughts and her eyes fell open with a shocked gasp. Merlin, the last thing she remembered was having started another Occlumency lesson after having returned from her trip to Hogsmead but then… nothing. She cursed inwardly. Could it be that she fell asleep during the lesson? Snape would kill her or in the very least put her in detention until the end of the school year.

The first thing she saw after she opened her eyes was him. Professor Snape still wore his dark, buttoned robes but he had lowered himself in a leathered armchair to her right. There he sat with an old-looking book in hands and watched her with a dangerously blank expression. She stared at him with wide, panicked eyes before she scrambled into a sitting position.

"I… I am sorry Professor Snape," she hastily apologized and looked around in panic. She was in a completely different room than before and even though the furniture was still held in dark wood combined with brown and green tones the place had a much more personal touch and was almost comfortable. There was a cosy fireplace to her left and several other bookshelves in the background of the room. On the floor, she could also see a fluffy, dark green carpet that somehow completed the look of the room rather nicely. Where in Merlin's name was she? "I must have fallen asleep, Sir," Hermione continued and forced herself to stay calm. It wouldn't help her to panic in front of Professor Snape, as this would probably only make his mood worse.

"Indeed," the man said with a calm expression and put his book aside. "Do you have any explanation for that little mishap, Miss Granger?"

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but the anger she had feared was strangely absent from his features. "I… was tired, Sir. There wasn't much time to sleep lately and…"

"And what?" he asked her with a curious expression and an inclined head.

Hermione closed her eyes in mortification. "It seems I couldn't keep myself any longer awake. I'm so sorry, Sir. I swear I never before fell asleep in class, not once." She assured him desperately and looked at him with wide eyes. His were almost black, she noted and looked at her without blinking.

"For the future, I expect you to be well-rested and fed before you meet me for your lessons in the evening," he finally said and fixed her with his eyes. "It is of no use if I am trying to teach you something and you're barely able to keep your eyes open. Will that be a problem?"

Hermione sighed tiredly. She knew that she should simply tell him it would be fine, but if she was honest with herself, she didn't know how much longer she could go on like this. The longer the school year went on, the more tired she got and the added stress of helping Harry out while taking Occlumency lessons didn't really make it any easier. "I don't know, Sir. I am already behind in my homework and I planned on doing one or two late-night sessions to try to catch up."

He sighed before he shook his head. "That won't do, I fear. Do you want to cancel the lessons with me for now and use the time to catch up with your homework? You'd have to do so in my rooms, as you are still officially in detention, but as long as you don't disturb me with endless chatter there shouldn't be a problem with that."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes and a heavy heart. Did he just… "You'll no longer teach me Occlumency, Sir? But, what about Harry… I need to be able to help him." Her voice sounded panicked but she didn't care. The Professor needed to know that she didn't want him to cancel her lessons, not even if it meant that she'd have to cut short on her homework. He seemed to read her thoughts as he shook his head with a sigh.

"And you will, Miss Granger, eventually. Your momentary knowledge on the topic should be enough to help him clear his mind and start with basic visualisation techniques. If my estimation is correct, it will take him weeks to even master that much, which gives us time for you to … recover. We could instead agree on meeting once a week to continue your lessons if you think you could fit it into your schedule."

For a moment Hermione simply could not believe her ears. Did Professor Snape really just try to find a solution, to make it easier for her? That was … unexpected. But she felt grateful nonetheless. "Absolutely, Sir. Thank you, Sir. I will not disappoint you again, Sir," she assured him hastily and Hermione could have sworn to see a small smile grace his lips.

"Alright, Miss Granger," he agreed with a nod. "What about Friday evening? You'd be able to have a lie-in in the next morning to compensate for the lost hours of sleep. It is of no use if you run yourself to the ground in your attempt to help your friend." As he said those last words, Professor Snape's hand slightly touched her arm and he fixed her with his gaze. "You need to take better care of yourself, do you hear me?"

She nodded slowly unable to tear her eyes away from him and for a moment she could have even sworn to feel her heart stutter in her chest. "Yes, Sir," she finally replied hoarsely but it was enough to satisfy him.

"Very well. Then I guess it is time for you to get back to your common room. It is almost midnight and I'm sure Mr Potter will eagerly await your return to complain about me." At his last words, Professor Snape's mouth turned into a crooked smile and Hermione could have sworn that she had never before seen this expression on him. But somehow the smile suited him. Merlin, where did that though suddenly come from? Hermione shook her head in confusion.

"Alright. Good night Professor and thank you… for everything," she said and smiled gratefully.

He answered her with a nod. "It is my duty to take care of you, Miss Granger. And now come, I'll escort you back to my office door."

Hermione carefully got up to her feet and followed her Potions Professor back into his office. She hadn't realized that his personal quarters were just next door. She still couldn't believe that he let her rest in his personal quarters instead of waking her up and giving her even more detention as a punishment. But she guessed she didn't know her Professor very well. Tonight he had surprised her more than once, after all.

ssssssssss

Professor Snape was of course right as Harry and Ron were indeed waiting for her when she stumbled through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room. They had placed themselves close to the fire and seemed to be engaged in a game of Exploding Snap, but as soon as they heard her enter the common room, their heads turned around.

"Hermione, finally!" Ron shouted and got up with a relieved sigh. "Merlin, Snape really keeps you for ages in these detentions. Doesn't the guy have a hobby or something?"

Hermione smiled weakly and shrugged. She couldn't very well tell them that she had mostly slept in Snape's quarters today, as they would probably freak out and refuse to let her go back ever again. "I don't know. Maybe he just likes reading, because he seems to do that quite a lot." It wasn't a lie, Hermione thought, not really. But it would hopefully be enough to stop them from asking any further about her detention because Hermione would hate it to have to lie to them.

Harry shrugged. "He does have a lot of books in his office," he admitted and Hermione could see that the two of them were expecting for her to stay with them for a while. Luckily she felt well-rested, thanks to her little nap, and so she sat down next to them on the floor.

"How was your first Occlumency lesson anyway, Harry? You know, I've done a bit of research and it sounds awfully interesting," Hermione said and looked at her dark-haired friend with a curious smile. It was enough to make him groan.

"It was a nightmare," Harry complained. "He really didn't explain much and just kept attacking my mind. The only advice he gave me was to clear my mind, but that's easier said than done if the guy keeps shuffling through your memories and taunts you about everything he finds."

Hermione sighed. Professor Snape hadn't been kidding when he said that he wouldn't make an effort with teaching Harry. She knew the reason why, of course, but how was she supposed to teach Harry without giving her secret away? "I don't really know how it works, but I could do some research if you want. You really need to be able to defend yourself from this thing in your head and if you don't think Professor Snape will be able to help you, then we'll find another way, okay?" She forced herself to look into his eyes, even though she'd rather have avoided it. But Harry was her friend, for god's sake, and she really didn't want more distance between them than strictly necessary.

"Yeah, that would be great. Thank you, Hermione," Harry answered with a weak smile. "How was your date by the way?"

Hermione groaned inwardly. Did she really have to talk about this?

"Yeah, we asked Fred and George, you know? But they were suspiciously silent about it," Ron continued and looked at her with curiosity. Obviously, there was no getting away from this. She sighed.

"Yeah, I imagine they would be. Let's just say that there will not be another date. We're better off as friends."

Ron looked at her with questioning eyes, whereas Harry looked like he'd rather end the conversation here. But unfortunately for them, Ron wasn't finished. "Merlin Hermione, that sounds bad. Did they try to kiss you?"

"No!" she protested with red cheeks because she was pretty sure she'd have let them even though she would have known what a bad idea that was. "They were perfect gentlemen, don't worry."

"Good," the younger Weasley said and looked at her with a crooked grin. "Because I swear, I would have punched them if they messed around with you. You deserve better than being toyed around with. 'm not saying they would have done that, but …"

"It's alright. Thanks for watching out for me, Ron," Hermione said quickly and touched his arm. "You're a good friend."

He snorted. "You're the one saving our arses over and over again. The least I can do is trying to save your heart in return."

Hermione forced herself to smile, even though she could feel the tears rise behind her eyes. Poor Ron didn't have an idea that he might be too late for doing that but not because his brothers were the ones who had broken her heart. She had managed that all by herself.


	14. Chapter 14

A.N.: Hey guys, here's another chapter for you. I hope you like it. :-) I finally decided on the pairing for the story. Yes, this will be a triad with Hermione, Fred and George. I just don't have the heart to break the twins apart. I hope you're all okay with this. If not, turn around and run. ;-)

My friend, Multilingualism, betaed this chapter for me. Thank you so much for your help.

Chapter 14: Of gaining trust

It was a strange feeling to go to Professor Snape's office in the knowledge that there would not be a lesson today and she'd be just doing her homework. It was Sunday and Hermione had two more essays that would be due tomorrow, one of them being potions, which made her even more nervous doing her work in the strict Professor's presence. But he was, of course, right that teaching her Occlumency was of no use if she wasn't even able to stay awake during the lesson, but as she was still officially in detention they had to fill the time somehow.

"Ah, Miss Granger. Do come in," he invited her inside with a neutral tone. Hermione followed him hastily into his office but halted after he had closed the door behind her. The room looked… different. She couldn't really put a finger on it but somehow Professor Snape's office suddenly felt almost inviting, but apart from her armchair, that he had moved to a corner and added a small table next to it, nothing seemed to have changed. Strange.

"I hope you'll be comfortable enough in the corner over there," he said while he returned to his chair behind the desk. "It's probably not the Gryffindor common room but you'll find that you are at least quite undisturbed here as I am not very fond of chatter."

She nodded with a shy smile. "Yes, thank you, Sir. I very much appreciate it."

His answer was an unintelligible grunt before his attention shifted back to the large stack of essays on his desk. Well, it looked like she wasn't the only one with a mountain of work and somehow the realisation made her feel better.

It was at least two hours later when Hermione realized how different doing homework with Professor Snape was. He was right, it wasn't the Gryffindor common room which meant that apart from the scratching of their feathers and the shuffling of paper no other sound could be heard in the room and Hermione realized that she found it relaxing to no end. It wasn't just that she wasn't constantly disturbed by Ron and Harry, who were asking for her help or started discussing Quidditch instead of doing their work, somehow it was the whole atmosphere of the room that had this effect. She had already finished her essay for Professor Sprout and she was halfway done with her Potions essay, but instead of feeling stressed or tired she felt more and more relaxed. Wasn't that strange? Maybe not. She loved studying after all and it was the first time she could do so totally undisturbed and without pressure. And for a moment Hermione wished that she could spend all her evenings like that with the silent company of her grumpy Potions Professor. But the man would probably kill her if she asked him to let her do just that. Professor Snape wasn't very fond of nosy students after all.

ssssssss

Dolores Umbridge felt that she was really doing a great job. Six weeks into the school year and she had already established six new rules that helped the children to behave properly every day and even though there were still some wrongdoers, behaviour in school had noticeably improved. The Minister was pleased with her and the daily reports she sent him on everything she noticed about the teachers, the Headmaster or various students she had started to monitor. Harry Potter was still a difficult case, but at least her punishment at the Quidditch game had shown some effect and the boy had refrained from being violent again. But she'd have to continue keeping an eye on him, as she knew that it was only a matter of time until the boy would start seeking attention by telling stories again. She had to prevent that under all circumstances because in the momentary political situation a panic was the last thing they needed. Also, those infamous Weasley-twins had calmed somewhat down. Dolores had been warned about them and when she started her job she had been prepared to reign them in immediately. Luckily banning them from Quidditch had the desired effect and in retrospect, she asked herself what others considered that difficult with those two. After all, she had managed just fine. But not everybody was Dolores Umbridge, after all, which made her presence at the castle even more important.

But her search for the Open Link was unfortunately still as fruitless as it had been at the beginning of the school year. The rules established by her had managed to re-establish a certain order and there were far fewer students indulging in inappropriate activities in the hallways. But there was still no one that was particularly eye-catching to her and that should have been impossible. Because through the Minister Dolores knew that the Open Link was still intact but after such a long time certain behaviours should be noticeable by now. There were students showing a high interest in other students, of course, Dolores monitored them all, but none of them had sought out her help and that was odd. She had informed all of her pupils what it would mean if the Open Linked remained open for a long while and by now the affected student should feel the draining effects on their magic, start to panic and seek out help. But nothing happened and that unsettled her more than she would ever admit out loud. What was it, she was missing? Was there possibly someone else who had found the Open Link before she did and had started influencing him or her? What if she didn't seem trustworthy enough to whoever was affected?

Dolores took a measured sip of tea from her favourite teacup, before she carefully placed it back on the silver tray to her left. It was obvious that she would have to take certain measures to ensure that the Open Link was finally found. Even if the person didn't feel the need to talk to her about his problems, they would possibly feel the need to write home about them. It, therefore, wouldn't hurt if the Minister would assign the help of some house-elves to check the student's mail for some information, discreetly of course. Apart from that, she would have to work on her public image. Dolores Umbridge was a very trustworthy person after all. The students just finally had to realize that.

ssssssss

Severus had watched Hermione Granger over the last week and he was pretty sure that his slight change of behaviour towards her was enough, that she started forming some sort of attachment towards him. He wasn't an idiot and therefore he knew very well that it was totally delusional to aim for something like romantic feelings in the first place. Considering their age gap and the fact that he was her Professor and such a relationship was strictly forbidden, that would have been ridiculous. But luckily romantic feelings or even love were not necessary to form a temporary link and therefore save the girl's magical core from bleeding out. All it took was admiration, friendship or trust. And these things were totally in his reach if he just played his cards wisely.

Welcoming her into his office for doing her homework in peace was just the first step of that process and it had worked fairly well. The girl had more and more relaxed in his presence and now she even openly smiled at him, when he welcomed her or wished her a good night. The next step would be a tad more difficult for him, as it would demand from him to open up a bit towards her. He despised doing that, no matter with whom. Severus was a very private person and he never shared his past or his memories with anybody. But he wanted Hermione to trust him, to even like him. And that wouldn't be possible without making certain sacrifices. It would hopefully be worth it because if they really managed to establish a temporary link, then it would buy the girl time to look for a suitable permanent partner. And in the meantime, their shared energy was maybe an insurance that could keep him alive, if things in this war went south for him. It would be a win-win – situation in the end and so Severus had no qualms to manipulate the girl into the right direction, just a bit.

"Good evening, Miss Granger," he said when she dutifully knocked at his office door at the time they had agreed upon. Today was the day of their next Occlumency lesson and Severus could feel the nervousness radiate from her. She probably remembered how she "fell asleep" the last time and was embarrassed about it. Should he make a comment to reassure her? Probably not, that would have been too out of character for him. And he didn't want her to become suspicious of his behaviour.

"I hope you took my advice on getting enough sleep. Today I'd like to teach you something new in our lesson, but only if you feel rested well enough," he said and moved into the centre of the room. There he stopped and looked at her with a raised brow.

"I'm feeling much better today, Professor Snape. You'll have my full attention, I swear." The girl meant it, that much he could tell from just looking at her and he nodded in satisfaction.

"Very well, sit." He gestured to her armchair, that now stood in the middle of the room and with a lazy wave of his wand he conjured one for himself opposite from hers. She followed his order without hesitation and looked at him with her hands folded in her lap. Severus sat down slowly and waited a moment before he said: "Today I intend on teaching you Legilimency, Miss Granger. It is not strictly necessary for you to master it to defend your mind, but as you agreed on teaching Mr Potter, it will be very useful for you in the future. Furthermore, it will allow you to take a look at my Occlumency shields and hopefully, this will help to improve your own ones."

He could see her eyes and mouth widen in surprise at his words and for a moment she just stared at him in speechless silence. "You want me to look into your mind, Sir?" she asked hesitantly like she was afraid of having misunderstood him.

"I do," he replied simply and waited in silence for his words to take effect. Then he continued: "There is no reason for you to get too excited, Miss Granger. You will not see anything I don't want you to see. All memories dear to me are safely tucked away and not even the Dark Lord has ever found a single one of them. And believe me, he tried."

The girl sighed in relief, but her eyes remained worried nonetheless. "I really don't want to pry, Sir. It is very generous of you to offer such a thing though and I do appreciate it, but I really don't want to risk angering or hurting you in any way." She nervously kneaded her hands in her lap.

He sighed. "You are not in danger of doing so. Learning Occlumency requires a lot of trust, as it allows the teacher to enter your mind without you being able to defend yourself in the beginning. By letting me teach you, you showed great trust in me, Miss Granger, and it is time for me to return this trust."

She looked at him for a long moment and sought out his eyes. Their eyes locked and for the first time, he realized, that there were flecks of gold hidden in her hazel orbs. "Thank you, Professor. I will not disappoint you, Sir."

He nodded, without breaking eye contact before he formed his lips into a kind smile. "I know. Now watch closely. The wand-movement for performing the spell goes like this."

Severus started to explain everything to her, that she would need to know to be able to enter his mind. Then he readied himself and cleared his head.

"Alright, Miss Granger. It will be easiest for you if you try to keep eye contact. One says that the eyes are the gate to somebody's soul. In this case, there is some truth to that."

She nodded eagerly and even though he could still feel her nervousness most of it had changed to something like nervous anticipation. Good. "Very well, Sir. Are you ready?"

He snorted amusedly. "Of course, girl. Do your worst," he said and looked into her eyes without hesitation. And then he set about to earn her trust.

sssssssss

Entering Professor Snape's mind felt like diving into a cold, deep lake. As soon as she had cast Legillimens, his black eyes seemed to swallow her and a moment later she felt herself being swallowed by darkness. And for a moment Hermione had to work hard, not to panic. Did she do something wrong? Because she was pretty sure there should have been something. But no, there was only impenetrable blackness and silence. She pulled back with the feeling of disappointment and after a moment Professor Snape's office reappeared before her eyes. The man himself sat in front of her and after a moment his eyes blinked and he looked at her with a raised brow.

"Well, Miss Granger? What did you find?" he asked and Hermione could have sworn that there was a small smile tugging on his lips.

She sighed. "Nothing. There was only darkness. Did I do something wrong?"

The Professor shook his head. "No, this is how an empty mind looks like. If you manage to teach Mr Potter properly, then this is what you should find in the end – nothing. No flashes of memories, no sound, nothing."

Hermione nodded in relief. "Alright, thank you, Professor."

"Don't thank me, yet. That was just the first step," the man replied. "When you cast your spell the next time, you'll find out what my mind usually looks like. You can look around on your own if you like, or I could help to guide you if that's what you prefer. Which is it?"

She looked at him with wide eyes. "I think I'd like some guidance, if you don't mind, Sir. I kind of felt lost a moment ago and as I have no idea what to expect…" Hermione shrugged without ending the sentence.

"Alright. Recast the spell when you're ready," Professor Snape said with a nod. And Hermione did. The feeling of diving into a cold lake still remained, but this time the Darkness faded after a moment and Hermione found herself on the shore of a lake that strongly reminded her of the Black Lake. She should have been wet, but as everything was just a visual projection of professor Snape's mind she felt completely dry when she pulled herself up. And suddenly Professor Snape was there, right in front of her and even though he still wore his dark teaching robes, he looked somehow different – younger.

"You're here," Hermione said in surprise which led to the man in front of her smiling amusedly.

"It's my mind, Miss Granger, of course, I am. What you see is a projection of myself. It might vary from reality to some degree, but it should be close enough to the truth."

She nodded. It was only logical that a self-image created out of a person's memory slightly varied from reality. Hermione was sure she also viewed herself slightly differently from how she really looked. "But if this was a real attack, you wouldn't be here, am I right Professor?"

"Absolutely. This is just for showing you around, come." Professor Snape made an inviting gesture with his head and when Hermione looked in the direction he had pointed to, her eyes went wide with wonder. "This is Hogwarts, Sir. You created the image of the whole castle in your mind?"

"I did. I consider this place my home, even though I was not an orphan when I went to school. And as you might have found it is easiest to project a place in your mind, you have a strong relationship to." Professor Snape started walking and Hermione hurried to keep stride with him. It was surprisingly easy, considering their height difference and Hermione attributed it to the fact that this only played in Professor Snape's mind.

"I see. It's only logical that it's easiest to imagine a place one is very well used to. But isn't that also a disadvantage in case of an attack? The attacker does most likely know Hogwarts too."

The Professor looked at her with glinting eyes. "So? Let's try an experiment, Miss Granger. You as a student are very well acquainted with the castle. Try to find one of my memories - any memory will do."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you sure, Sir?"

"Absolutely. Go on. I am quite curious about what you'll make of this." With this, the Professor's steps slowed down and Hermione guessed he wanted her to take the lead. She nodded in determination. How difficult could this be? Yes, the castle was huge but she had a few ideas where she would start her search.

It was a long while later when Hermione realized that she wasn't any closer to finding what she was looking for. She had checked all the logical places like the library, the Great Hall and Professor Snape's office but it had been of no use. She had admired the great details the Professor could picture in his mind and apart from some books in the library being totally blank there wasn't much that gave the mental image away. But there was no memory. Not a single one. It was beyond frustrating.

Finally, she went to the potions lab, not the one they used in class but one that looked much more private and was well stocked with various ingredients, cauldrons and brewing equipment. And something told her that she was finally in the right place. "It's here," she said and looked around. It was only logical, the man was a Potions Master after all, but what had he done?

"Very good, Miss Granger. Now what?" He looked at her with an amused glint in his eyes and Hermione got the impression that he was curiously waiting for what she was going to do next. What was she going to do? She decided to check the ingredients on the shelf first. If Hermione decided to hide memories within books then she guessed he could do so in the different jars and containers, too. But after she had opened, sniffed and even touched several absolutely non-inviting ingredients she decided that there was nothing. It had to do something with the lab though. What if…

"Is there a book with potion recipes somewhere here, Sir?" she asked and he looked at her with a smug smile.

"No, Miss Granger. There is none. Why would there be? Do you imagine me needing one?" Yes, the Professor's eyes were definitely glinting with amusement which assured her that she had the right idea. If the Professor had really done what she thought he had, then it was absolutely brilliant and there was really almost no way anybody but him could access his memories. She smiled.

"If I had to guess one needs to brew a potion and drink it. Every different potion gives access to another memory. Am I right, Sir?"

But Professor Snape only smiled and shrugged. "Try it, Miss Granger. I am sure there are at least one or two potions you have the instructions memorized for word by word. Go on."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes but after a moment she straightened her posture and started. She wasn't as proficient in potions as he was and she guessed that he would have used more advanced potions or even his own recipes to hide his memories with. And so she chose the most advanced potion she had recently brewed, the Draught of Insight. She had brewed it twice by now and really, she could remember the instructions by heart. And so it was only a while later until she bottled the finished, silvery potion and looked at the phial in her hands with a heavily beating heart. Should she really drink it? Would it even work? And if it did, what would she see?

"Are you sure you are okay with this Professor?" she asked the man who leaned casually against a workbench and watched her with his black eyes. He shrugged.

"I wouldn't have let you come here if I wasn't. Go on, enjoy the show." His tone was almost sarcastic which made her shiver in dark anticipation. Merlin, what memories would a man like Severus Snape hide, she asked herself. Would it be something terrible? Something from his time as a Death Eater? Or from his childhood? Hermione didn't know but as the Professor didn't hold her back, she decided to find out. She took a long, last look at the man in front of her before she took a deep breath and drained the content of the phial. And immediately Hermione's world went black.


	15. Chapter 15

A.N.: I really shouldn't be posting this, as I haven't written anything new since I published the last chapter of this story. But I have a hard time at the moment and posting always cheers me up. Let's hope it works, because I hate to be stuck in my writing.

A big thank you to Multilingualism, who betaed this chapter for me.

Chapter 15: What lies inside

Hermione found herself in a smallish bedroom that was all brown and grey colours. The floor was made of brown, worn timber floorboards that would have surely creaked under her feet if she had been really there. But this was just a memory, the memory of young Severus Snape who was currently sitting on his bed with his back leaned against the wall and a book in hand. Hermione guessed that he must have been a bit younger than she was now. His hair was already long and covered most of his face like a curtain and only his long nose was peaking out of it, as he was totally absorbed by his book. The sight of him made her smile as she could totally understand. There wasn't much in the room of this young teenage Severus. Apart from the bed, there was a small wooden wardrobe and a small desk by the window. Next to it was a low shelf but apart from his school books and a few muggle stories, there wasn't much to find. And Hermione instantly felt sorry for this boy who seemed to have a passion for reading but not the means of buying interesting books for himself.

"Severus, come down here at once," a male voice suddenly barked from outside the room and by the stiffening of the boy's body, Hermione got the feeling that there wasn't a good relationship between him and this unknown person. But young Severus immediately scrambled to his feet, marked his current page in the book and hastened outside. Hermione didn't have much choice than to follow him, as she was currently in his memory and so it felt like she was pulled after him by something like an elastic band connecting their bodies.

The boy scurried down the stairs and turned to the right and Hermione just saw him cross a door frame before he disappeared into a room, which must have been the kitchen. There, at the kitchen table, sat a rough-looking man that must have been his father. Hermione could see lots of similarities between the two of them, the long nose, the black hair and dark eyes and also the noticeable cheekbones, that gave their faces a very own character. But apart from those features, the two of them couldn't have been much different. Where Professor Snape was always slender, the man at the table looked strong. His face was tanned like he was spending most of his days outside and by the state of his hands, he most likely earned his money by doing hard labour. But the most shocking to Hermione was the man's expression. Professor Snape had never been a friendly Professor and there were times, where he had been unjust or even cruel towards her and her friends. But Hermione had never been afraid of him and she knew that he would still protect her if she was ever in danger. His father, on the other hand, looked like he wouldn't only hurt somebody with his cruel words, but also on a very physical level. And the realisation made her skin crawl.

"Where have you been, boy?" the man asked his son in a harsh voice and looked at him with a cold, calculating expression.

"Upstairs, doing homework," young Severus explained quietly and looked at his father with a bowed head.

"Bah, I'm sure you finished your homework within the first three days of your holidays, boy, which only leaves the realisation that you've been hiding out doing… nothing!"

The teenager flinched like he had been expecting a blow, but his father's hand connected with the table with a loud thud.

"But I have enough of this laziness, boy. If you want to eat, you are going to work. Not like one of them, no, you're going to do proper work. Do you hear me?"

Young Severus nodded submissively. "Yes, father."

"But Tobias," a female voice from the other end of the room pleaded and just then Hermione realized there was even another person there. The woman, which must have been Professor Snape's mother, had surely been beautiful once, but now her blond hair had started to turn limp and grey and her face was full of worry lines. But the worst were her eyes, which were shimmering with hopelessness that it took Hermione' breath away. "You can't take him into the mines with you. You know how dangerous it is down there after they closed them down and…"

"Be quiet, woman," Tobias Snape interrupted her and leapt to his feet and Hermione could see the other woman flinch in fear. "The boy will come with me and he'll make himself useful for once. And if he's stupid enough to hurt himself, then it's maybe a mouth less we've got to feed."

Young Severus stared at his parents with wide eyes and from the direction of his mother, there was only a whimper as an answer. And so he stared at his father with a resigned expression on his face and nodded.

"Come now, boy. Today you'll finally learn something useful," the man said, got up and left the room. Severus followed him, with a last, wistful look towards his mother, who looked at him with sad, helpless eyes. But there was no other word of resistance from her and so it was only a moment before Severus followed his father out of the house.

Hermione was just about to follow them when her world suddenly started to spin and for a moment it felt like she was pulled through a water surface. She gasped for air only to realize that she was somehow back to Professor Snape's office, where she was still sitting in the armchair he had provided for her. She blinked in confusion. Why was she back? The memory didn't feel like it ended there.

"I think that's enough," the man in front of her said in a calm but determined voice. He looked at her with a neutral expression but Hermione could have sworn that there was something behind his eyes: uneasiness maybe?

"The memory wasn't finished, was it?" she asked carefully and studied his expression. He nodded curtly while his eyes fixed a point somewhere behind her.

"It wasn't. But I decided to end it before things got too… exciting," he replied and even though one side of his mouth twitched Hermione knew, that he didn't mean exciting in a good way.

"I didn't know one could do that," she said and looked at him with furrowed brows. "But I guess there's a lot I still don't know."

The Professor smiled wistfully. "There's always a multitude of knowledge we do not possess, Miss Granger. Don't let this ever stop you from learning new things." With that, he positioned himself more comfortably in his armchair and looked at her with his fingers steepled in front of his chin. "Tell me, what did you learn on your trip into my head?" He looked at her with a challenging look in his eyes and Hermione contemplated his question carefully.

"I learned an effective way of protecting one's memories, Sir. Until now I didn't understand how to do that properly, but now I see that hiding my memories within books wasn't very effective. Almost everyone can read a book." She shrugged with a crooked grin. "Your way of hiding them in a potion the attacker has to make without instruction is… genius. You simply used one of your strengths to do it, which is brilliant! I love it!" She looked at him excitedly.

"Good," Professor Snape replied with a nod and Hermione thought, he actually looked pleased. "Now tell me, Miss Granger, what strengths do you possess that you could use for doing the same?"

She chewed at her bottom lip. "I… I'll have to think about it, Sir. There might be a few things, but I'm not sure whether they would be suitable to turn them into these sorts of defences."

The Professor nodded. "Good. I want you to do that for your homework until next week. Try finding a unique way of hiding your memories and implement it into your mental image. Can you do that, Miss Granger?"

Hermione nodded self-assuredly. "Yes, Sir."

"Very well. Then I think we're finished for today," her teacher said and got up from his seat. He turned towards his desk and Hermione thought he wanted to sit down behind it, to continue doing his work, but instead, he opened one of the drawers and pulled something out. He looked at her for a long moment, before he stepped in front of her and said: "You did a good job finding my memories and I think you earned yourself a little price." He stretched out his arm towards her and when he opened his palm, there was a small potion phial in it.

"Is this… that's my potion, the Draught of Insight, isn't it, Sir?" Hermione asked and looked at him confusedly. "You're giving it back to me, Sir?"

Professor Snape nodded with a neutral expression. "I am. And I want you to take it before our next lesson. See it as an incentive to build good mental shields, because I'll be looking for whatever you're going to learn from it."

Hermione swallowed heavily. She felt a bit uncomfortable at the thought of taking the potion if there wasn't really the need to do so. Harry and Ron had been somewhat desperate, but she wasn't. What if it didn't provide an answer, at all? Well, it would if she decided on the right question. And there was a question that was almost on everybody's mind at the moment. She sighed. "Alright, Sir. I must confess, I don't like the idea very much. But I guess there's nothing else you don't already know about me."

He looked at her with a small smile. "Indeed. Does this worry you, Miss Granger?" His tone sounded light, almost casual but Hermione could feel that the question behind it was serious. And so she listened into her heart before she said: "No, Sir. I trust you not to use this knowledge against me and that's all I care about."

The Professor nodded. "Good, then I suggest we'll meet here at my office next Wednesday at 7. Goodnight, Miss Granger."

"Good night, Sir," Hermione replied and she was just about to turn around, when she changed her mind, gathered her courage and said: "May I ask you a question, before I go, Sir?"

Immediately he fixed her with his dark eyes and Hermione could feel the nervousness rise within her. "You may." His answer was short and even though his face remained almost expressionless, she still felt a thrill of excitement at his words.

"Why did you end the memory early, Sir? What happened? Did he…" Hermione didn't dare to finish the sentence, as she felt she was already stressing her luck enough as it was. But even though her Professor would mostly simply decline to answer, she still wanted to try talking to him about what she had seen.

"Did he what, Miss Granger?" the man in front of her asked with a glint in his eyes. "Hit me?" His mouth twitched as he must have seen her shocked expression. "Of course he did. My father was an abusive bastard, as you surely noticed."

Hermione nodded weakly and captured her bottom lip with her teeth. But she didn't dare to say a word in fear of interrupting and therefore stopping him.

"But that's not what happened that day. I wouldn't have cared about you seeing any of this. No, as you heard my father took me to go into the old coal mine. It had been closed down a few years ago, but all the equipment was still there and so my father went regularly to work." The Professor's lips twitched angrily at the use of the last word and Hermione knew that by work he meant to steal. "But there was a reason the mines were closed. Working there had gotten dangerous and so it was no wonder when we got trapped down there by a landslide that day. It wasn't pretty."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. "I am sorry, Sir."

He fixed her with his dark eyes. "Don't be. It was a long time ago."

She nodded. "How did you get out? I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry."

Professor Snape shrugged. "I am a wizard, Miss Granger and you can imagine that having such a father led to always having my wand with me. I got us out but as I was underage and in a Muggle area the Ministry wasn't very impressed with me. But they let me off the hook with a stern warning."

She sighed in relief. "I'm glad. And your father? Did he… get hurt?"

He grunted. "Quite badly and he wasn't impressed when my mother fixed him with magic afterwards. I considered obliviating him, as I knew he'd let her feel his anger for weeks after. But as I was only a fourth-year I refrained from trying. He died half a year later when there was another landslide in the mines and he was down there with a friend. I can't say I've mourned his passing, as that would have been a lie."

Hermione nodded. "I understand, Sir, and I hope my curiosity didn't bring up any bad memories for you. It's a character trait I can't really help but I've recently been told, that it isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Professor Snape's mouth twitched at her words. "It is if it gets you killed. And now off with you, girl. I've entertained your curiosity enough for an evening."

She smiled. "Good night, Sir. And thank you."

He waved her off with a shrug but as Hermione left his office a small, victorious smile graced her lips. Because somehow she had the feeling that she discovered a bit more of her grumpy Potions Professor today and it was obvious that the man really put some trust in her, by letting her see a part of his past. And somehow that made her feel special.

ssssssss

It took Hermione two days to find a chance to take the potion. She wasn't afraid of doing so, but she decided that she would prefer doing it alone and uninterrupted and so she had to wait for a chance to retreat into her bed early. And this really wasn't an easy thing to do for her these days. But finally, it was Friday and she was pretty sure all the other girls in her dorm would have a late night and so it was the perfect chance for her to use the potion Professor Snape had given her. She had long decided on the question she would ask after drinking it because even though she wasn't as desperate or confused as Harry and Ron had been, she still wanted to make sure that the strong emotions she felt now and then weren't caused by an Open Link in her magic. Because that was the last thing she needed on top of her problems.

"Alright," she thought and closed the Gryffindor-red curtains of her bed around her before she cast a silencing and a notice-me-not charm. Then she sat down on the covers and crossed her legs in front of her. The Potion had been in the pocket of her robes ever since she had gotten it back. Now she finally pulled it out and weighed it in her hands, before she removed the stopper and sniffed the silvery liquid. It smelled a bit like flowers, she thought, but not in a way that made her want to drink it. Not that it mattered, because Potions rarely smelled delicious in the first place. "Well, no reason for stalling this," Hermione realized and held the bottle against her lips. "What is wrong with me?" she formulated her question in her mind, then she took a deep breath and gulped the potion down. It immediately took effect and it was only a matter of seconds before she had her answer. And she didn't like it at all.


	16. Chapter 16

A.N.: Hey guys, thank you for your encouragement and your kind words of support. I'm feeling better again and managed to finish another chapter. For those who wonder: Severus will NOT be a love interest for Hermione in this story. Maybe I'll write Hermione/Severus one day, because I like him and I'd love to try, but not in this story or the next one.

Multilingualism betaed again and corrected my awkward english. Thank you, my friend.

Chapter 16: How to do the impossible

"I can't get her out of my head," George admitted towards his twin as they were just about to finish their experiments in their lab. It had been several long days since their first and probably last date with their favourite Prefect, but for George, it had felt like ages. His heart simply refused to accept what his head realized was the truth: Hermione could not date both of them and so it was better to forget the little, feisty witch before anyone of them got hurt. But god, it was difficult!

"You mean Hermione?" Fred asked as he boxed the first finished Puking Pastilles into the containers they had designed for the Skiving Snack boxes. The finished products would be a hit, they had decided, and it would only be days until they would be able to sell the first ones to the more and more desperate students.

"Yeah," George replied with a sigh. "I know what she said made sense and I am thankful she doesn't want to hurt one of us, but I still want her."

Fred hummed in agreement. "Me, too. It will probably take some time to go away. We'll just have to focus on something else. And apart from making loads of different new products for the shop, which always cheers me up, there has been a project we have been neglecting for far too long."

"The Open Link," George uttered what Fred was thinking. "We aren't much closer to finding it than we were two weeks ago. But when we meet Dumbledore after the next Defence lesson, he'll want to hear what we came up with. And that's not that much, to be honest."

Fred groaned. "I know. We have pretty much ruled out everybody from our year, as all of them have made some experiences already. But there 're still so many 6th and 5th years we have no clue about. There needs to be another way to rule some of them out, Georgie. It can't just be about sexual experience and all that."

"Not really, no. Why aren't there more people with an Open Link? What makes that person so special? What a person would one need to be, to even establish such a condition?" George summarised his thoughts loudly and stroked his chin.

Fred looked at him with his brows furrowed in concentration. "Well, being an Open Link makes your magical core accessible by another person and we know what that means, brother. Not many people would even want or permit that. Think about all those Slytherins that just want to cover their arses and only think about themselves. It can't be one of them."

George nodded. "No, it can't be. Maybe it's someone who would do almost anything for his friends, someone loyal or empathic."

Fred stroked his chin. "Maybe a Hufflepuff then, but not necessarily. But that's an idea, Georgie. We'll keep our eyes open for someone that would fit such a description. And with a bit of luck, we'll find someone like that. There can't be too many of them."

George snorted. "Probably not. Most teenagers are self-centred idiots. Still, I'd prefer if we could discreetly ask around what other people think who it could be. Alone we are simply not having all of the information we need."

At that, his brother grinned. "Then let's do that, Georgie. And I just got a brilliant idea how to go about that without looking too suspicious."

sssssssss

Harry's next Occlumency lesson was an even bigger disaster than his first one and he was visibly bad-tempered when he stormed back into the Gryffindor common room.

"This is ridiculous," he moaned and threw himself on the sofa next to Hermione. "I swear, Snape's just taking this as a chance to taunt me. God, my head feels like it's 'bout to burst!"

Ron looked at his friend with a dark expression, before he turned his attention to Hermione. "The guy isn't teaching him anything, Mione. Look at him! Do we even know if Snape's really on our side? What if he's working for … you know… and he's just trying to wear him down?"

Hermione looked at the redhead with a dark expression. She could understand why he thought so, as Snape had warned her that he would not teach Harry anything of use. But he couldn't very well tell her friends that she knew for a fact, that Snape was working against You-Know-Who. And so she settled for. "Don't be ridiculous, Ron. Dumbledore trusts him!" But she could see that neither of the boys was convinced.

"Yeah, but what if he's wrong?" Ron countered back and stared at them incredulously. "It wouldn't be the first time that there's a traitor in the Order. Just think about Wormtail. Dumbledore trusted him too, right?"

Well, Ron had a point, Hermione thought but that wasn't why she trusted Snape after all. She had made her very own experiences with the man but that had to remain a secret of course.

"Yeah, Ron's right," Harry grumbled next to her. "Whatever he thinks he's doing, he's not helping me, he's making it worse. The dreams I have, get more vivid every night. It's always the same corridor I see. Do you think that I am seeing through his eyes in my dreams?"

Hermione shuddered at the thought. "It's possible Harry but if that's what it is, it is really a bad sign. We need to do something, so that this connection doesn't get stronger, Harry."

Her friends nodded grumpily. "Yeah, but how?" Ron asked her with an air of desperation. "Snape isn't helping Harry but who else could teach him this Ocumincy?"

"It's Occlumency, Ronald," Hermione corrected him with a sigh. "And I thought about it, boys. I did some research in the last few days and I think I can teach you. Both of you."

"Me too?" Ron asked her with wide eyes. "Why? It's not like I'll need it, right?"

She looked at him with a grim expression. "No? What if You-Know-Who starts using Harry to read our thoughts? We know there's a part of him inside Harry and he's a very powerful, dark wizard, Ron. I don't know about you, but I want to protect my mind, just in case."

"Merlin's pants, you're right, Mione," her red-haired friend mumbled with wide eyes. "He could do that, couldn't he?"

Hermione sighed. "We don't know, Ron. But I'd rather be prepared and apart from that we're better as a team, right?"

"Right," Ron agreed and looked at Harry, who was watching them silently from his seat in the armchair. "You heard Mione, Harry. We're doing this together. And we know Hermione's brilliant. I'm sure she's a ten times better teacher than Snape."

Harry snorted humourlessly. "Seriously? That isn't hard. I'm almost sure even Dobby could do better."

Hermione looked at her friend with wide eyes. "That's it, Harry! We'll ask Dobby!" But the boys just looked at her confusedly and she realized that she had already thought two steps ahead.

"You want Dobby to teach us Occlumency?" Harry asked her with a disbelieving look but Hermione shook her head with a chuckle.

"No, of course not. I'll be doing this. But think about it, boys. We'll need a room to practice, a room where we'll be undisturbed for a while. And who knows the castle better than the Headmaster himself? The house-elves!"

"That actually isn't a bad idea, mate," Ron said and smiled towards the other boy. "Should we go to the dorm and call for him?"

Harry shrugged with a crooked smile. "Can't hurt, I guess. And I think if Hermione will really try to learn and teach us Occlumency, then finding us a room is the least we can do."

sssssssss

Severus could tell the exact evening when Miss Granger had finally taken the potion. Even though almost everybody around him seemed oblivious to it, he thought that she suddenly behaved more cautious around people and she seemed like she was carrying even more weight on her shoulder now. He still wasn't sure if making her aware of her condition had been a good idea, but it was obvious that the people hunting for the Open Link got more and more desperate, especially Umbridge. And so Hermione was probably safer if she at least knew that she was, in fact, the one they were looking for. The girl would have to be careful with displaying emotions or even affection in public and even though Severus had rarely seen her doing so, he knew through their Occlumency sessions that the urge to do so was definitely there. But Hermione Granger was a surprisingly good actor, he found, and if he hadn't been aware of her condition, he would have thought the girl was probably just stressed or something equally fitting for her.

"Ah, Miss Granger," he greeted her when she knocked at his door one week after their last meeting. She was nervous, this much he could tell by just looking at her, but he guessed it was only natural considering the secret she was trying to keep from him. "Come in."

By now she sat down on her armchair without hesitation, which was definitely a good sign, he guessed. And so he decided on a bit of small talk before he would start with the lesson. "Could you convince Potter to take some additional Occlumency lessons from you?"

The girl nodded. "I did. It wasn't very difficult after last Saturday. He wasn't very happy with you, Sir."

He snorted. "Good, because that was very much my intention. With a bit of luck, he'll break off the lessons with me after a while. Then I can finally stop playing this charade."

"Yeah. Teaching him is as difficult as you predicted, though. It's really difficult for him to calm his thoughts and empty his mind. Even Ron is better at doing it."

"You're teaching Weasley, too?" Severus asked her in astonishment, while he sat down across from her. "Merlin, girl, good luck with that."

She smiled wistfully. "Thank you, Sir. But as I said, Ron's doing quite well actually. And I was hoping that him joining us for the lessons would help to motivate Harry."

After that they stared at each other in silence for some moments and as he had no idea how to stretch this small-talk any further he said: "Did you carry out the task I gave you last week, Miss Granger?"

"You mean taking the potion, Sir? " she asked and looked at him with wide, nervous eyes.

"…and hiding whatever you found out, yes. I want you to feel prepared before I enter your mind this time. If you don't feel that that's the case, you can always come back next week."

It was definitely the right thing to say, as the girl immediately seemed to relax in her seat. He had given her an out and for a moment she saw her contemplating if she should use it. But in the end, she decided against it.

"No, I want to stay, Sir. I prepared myself as good as I probably can on my own. And even if you are able to find the memory you are looking for, I… I trust you, Sir. You once gave me the promise that whatever you learn from my mind will not leave the room. And I trust this promise still stands."

He nodded with an honest smile. "It does. Do not fear, Miss Granger. Your secrets are safe with me. I will not betray your trust, you have my word."

The girl smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Sir. And thank you for helping me."

"Don't thank me, yet. Thank me afterwards, if you still feel the need to do so. Because I intend to be thorough with you today," Severus promised but the girl just looked at him with a determined nod.

"Alright, Sir. Do your worst then."

He snorted amusedly and pulled his wand out of his sleeve. "As you wish."

ssssssss

Hermione's shoulders sagged in relief when Professor Snape finally left her mind after what felt like ages. The man had been thorough, that much could be said for sure, but Hermione had put a lot of thought into her defences because the Professor had been right: having a secret that was worth keeping could really motivate a person to do their very best. And that's what Hermione had done.

"I must say, I am impressed, Miss Granger," the black-haired man said and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I had my doubts when I started to discover memories in your books again, but I realized that you must have anticipated this."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I wanted it to look like I had chosen this way to protect my memories. Whoever comes and starts looking, has to find something, or he will keep looking."

The Professor smiled. "I see. Well, in this case, I need to congratulate you. Whatever strategy you chose for yourself, it seems to be successful, which means that there is no need to take further lessons from me."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. It would be their last lesson? She should feel relieved at the thought, especially if one considered the secret she was keeping now, but that was just the thing: Professor Snape was already part of the secret, even though he might not be aware of it. And the realization that having finished her Occlumency lessons meant she would no longer be able to see him outside from her Potions lessons, pained her more than she had thought possible. But the reason for it was obvious to her now.

"Thank you, Sir," she said and smiled shyly. "I'm glad that you think so."

He nodded and looked at her with furrowed brows. "Is there anything else, Miss Granger?"

For a moment she froze in her chair. This was the chance to tell him and she should tell him, that much she was sure of. She trusted her Professor, after all, but at the same time, she feared his reaction to her secret. But there was nothing for it, she needed to tell him. Hermione sighed: "I… there is indeed something, Sir."

"Thought so," he said and looked at her with an inclined head. "Out with it then."

She took a calming breath. Professor Snape wasn't the most patient of men and he probably wouldn't appreciate it if she plunged into a big explanation. That's why she decided on the direct approach. "I am the Open Link, Sir. That's what the potion told me."

For a moment he didn't move a muscle and just stared at her unblinkingly. But finally, his hand moved to his forehead and started rubbing it, while the man looked at her with a sigh. "Why are you telling me this, Miss Granger? What do you expect me to do with that kind of information?"

She looked at him with a heavily beating heart. "I don't expect you to do anything, Sir."

He focussed her with his dark eyes. "Let me be frank with you, Miss Granger. It is highly advisable for you to keep that little bit of information a secret. There are many people out to find and secure the Open Link and I thought you were aware of that."

Hermione nodded and stared at him with wide eyes. She hadn't expected for him to sound so… upset. "I am aware of it, Sir. And you're the only person I told or intend to tell. I'm not stupid." She regretted her harsh words as soon as she had spoken them because she was sure that he wouldn't appreciate her tone. But there was no taking them back now.

But the Professor didn't look displeased at all as he nodded towards her. "Good. Because you really are in danger if the news of your condition gets out. The Dark Lord is looking for you. He tasked me to find and bring him the Open Link to be precise. Luckily for you, I never intended to do so but there is no saying how much longer he will accept my failure or many other people he asked to do the same."

Hermione looked at him in shock. Merlin, that was really a desperate situation her Professor was in. And she had just added to the weight on his shoulders. She sighed. "I am sorry, Professor. I didn't know. And I really don't want to make this any more difficult for you, but there's more."

He looked at her with a sigh. "Of course there is. Alright, tell me."

Hermione closed her eyes to not have to look at him because she really didn't want to see his face when she told him the next bit. "The Open Link… I… might have attached myself to you, Sir."

There was absolutely no reaction from him, not a single sound and so Hermione was forced to open her eyes and look at him. His face was an expressionless mask, while his eyes stared at her like they were trying to solve a complicated puzzle. But even as she sought out his eyes with hers he didn't say a word. She swallowed heavily. "I don't know how these kinds of things work, Sir, but that's what the potion told me. And I thought you should be aware of it."

Finally, he nodded and shook his head with a disbelieving snort. "I have no idea how these kinds of things work either, Miss Granger. There is not a lot of information on your … condition as it is very rare. But I am pretty sure that this connection you seemed to have formed to me, is not permanent and will fade if you find a different, more suitable linking partner. So there is no reason for you to panic as you will not be attached to me permanently."

She looked at him with furrowed brows. "I am not panicking, Sir. I trust you and I guess that is also the reason why the Link chose you for the time being. Are you…. Are you alright with that connection, Sir?"

He looked at her for a long moment. "I am not averse to it if this is what you're worried about, Miss Granger. But I think there should be certain rules to make sure that there are no… misunderstandings between us."

Hermione nodded. That only made sense, she guessed. "I agree. What rules do you have in mind, Sir?"

Professor Snape rubbed his forehead once more and suddenly he looked almost uncomfortable. "There is and there will not be a romantic relationship between us. I am not open for this kind of… offer and I expect you to respect these boundaries."

"Of course, Sir," she hastily replied with pink cheeks. Merlin, she hadn't even considered that he could interpret her confession in that way, but it made sense of course. "I never intended to…" she motioned between the two of them with their hands, before she broke off her sentence awkwardly.

He nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Furthermore, we have to make sure not to have been seen together too often, as we don't want to raise any suspicions. I understand that we'll have to meet regularly for … the connection to remain intact, but you cannot be seen visiting my office on a regular basis. I would be too dangerous for the both of us."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. How should she do that? "I understand, Sir, but I don't know how to do that."

He waved her off unconcernedly. "I will teach you the Disillusionment Charm before you leave. It is not part of the Hogwarts Curriculum, but you have proved that you do possess a certain amount of intelligence so you should be able to master it quickly."

She blinked at him in confusion. Did he just compliment her? "Thank you, Sir. That is very kind. Is there anything else?"

He nodded. "Two more things, actually. You will not draw off my magical power, as long as it is not an emergency. This is very important, as I am regularly relying on my magic to keep myself alive. I will abide by the same rule, Miss Granger. I will not use your magic if I am not in dire need of it."

"That is very thoughtful, Sir. I promise I will not misuse the Link in that kind of way. What is the last thing, Professor?"

At that, the man smiled openly at her. It was such a strange sight, that it made Hermione pause. "As long as we are amongst ourselves, you should call me Severus. It is not strictly necessary if you feel uncomfortable doing so, but considering these new circumstances…"

Hermione nodded with a smile. "Of course, Severus," she said and tested the feel of his name on her tongue. "But you'll call me Hermione in return."

Severus smiled. "As you wish. That would be all, from my side. Is there any other rule, you'd like to establish, Hermione?"

She gnawed at her bottom lip and thought for a long while. But there was nothing she could think of. "No, Sir…. Ah… Severus. There's nothing else."

"Good. Then let me show you the Disillusionment Charm before you go." The Professor got up and motioned for her to do the same. She did so with an eager smile. The next half an hour was the most enjoyable she had had in weeks. Severus was a brilliant teacher if he decided to be. She had made the right decision connecting herself to him, for now. Severus Snape made her feel safe and supported. And the connection to him gave her two things she desperately needed in times like these: an ally she trusted and could rely on and more importantly: time to figure out whom she trusted enough to forge a permanent magical connection to him. Because as it looked love wasn't just a casual thing for her but could connect her permanently to a person, if she decided to act on it. And considering that for most people her age such kind of commitment was unthinkable right now, that left her in a pretty difficult situation.


	17. Chapter 17

A.N.: This chapter was betaed by the amazing Multilingualism. Thank you, my friend!

Chapter 17: Not funny at all

The plan was brilliant, Fred thought, and it was so up their alley that no one suspected a thing. They needed a way to collect information from as many people as they possibly could and thanks to Ludo Bagman they knew exactly how to collect them.

"Hey, Lee, mate, do you want to place a bet on who's the Open Link?" Fred asked their best friend with a wide grin and opened his book, that he had specially enchanted for the occasion.

The boy snorted and handed them a Galleon. "My money is on Luna Lovegood, guys," he said with a lopsided grin. "The girl is something else and I think that's what you'd need to be, to let your magical core open like that."

George nodded with a wide grin and noted Lee's prediction down. "Very good, mate. You can come and collect your money, as soon as we know who it is." Lee grinned at him and strolled off. "Sure thing, guys. See you later, then." And with that, he was off. Huh, Luna Lovegood wasn't that bad of an idea, when Fred thought about it. But there was no time to think about it now, as classes had just ended, which left them with the perfect chance to collect some more data. And really, it was only a moment as the next students strolled through the corridor.

"Oi, Harry! Hey, Ron!" George already shouted after them and the two friends turned around with a questioning look on their faces. "Fancy placing a bet on who's the Open Link?" The boys looked at them with raised brows.

"You're taking on bets? Really?" their little brother asked them in surprise.

Fred nodded with a wide smile. "Absolutely. So if you want to invest some of your pocket money…"

The young redhead looked at him with furrowed brows, before he searched his robes and pulled out two sickles. "That's all I have, guys," he said and handed them the money. "My money's on Lavender Brown."

George looked at him in surprise. "Why her?"

Ron shrugged. "She's all about love and feelings, isn't she? Hermione complains she's hardly talking about anything else."

Fred nodded and noted his brother's bet. Then he turned towards Harry. "And you, mate? Want to make a guess?"

The black-haired wizard frowned before he took out a Galleon and handed it over. "I think it's Hermione," he said and shrugged. "We established that it's not me or Ron and by our luck, it must be her, then. She also changed since the holidays, so I guess that could be another sign."

Fred paused. Harry was right, he thought, but he plastered another unconcerned look on his face. "Alright, mate. A Galleon on Hermione, then," he confirmed and noted her name down. But he was only halfway finished when said witch stormed towards them with a thunderous look on her face.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked in a stern voice that reminded him of Professor McGonagall. Fred looked at her with a surprised grin on his face. She was really breath-taking when she was angry like that.

"We're collecting bets on who's the Open Link. There's already one on you Hermione," he said and winked at her. "Want to make your own guess?"

The little witch looked at her with a dumbstruck look on her face. "Somebody thought it's me? Who?"

Across from her, Harry shuffled his feet nervously, before he looked at her with a helpless shrug. "It makes sense, don't you think? You're brilliant and you've been feeling slightly off, lately," he explained but Hermione just rolled her eyes at his words.

"So? Everybody's been feeling off in the last weeks, Harry and I don't think intellect has anything to do with it." She sighed but Harry looked at her with an unconcerned smile on his face.

"Whatever, Hermione, that's why it's a bet," Ron mumbled and then motioned his head towards their book. "Make your own one. It's fun!"

She looked at her friends like she'd never seen them before. "Fun? You think that's fun?" she shrieked and for a moment it looked like her eyes could throw sparks at them. "I don't find it funny at all! Do I have to remind you how you felt when you thought it was you, Ron? Back then you at least seemed to know what a danger that would mean to you. But now you totally seem to have forgotten that, have you? Is collecting bets even allowed?"

Ron groaned and looked at his friend irritatedly. "There's no Educational Decree against it, is there? So it's obviously not forbidden. Don't be such a killjoy, Mione. There's little enough fun going on in the castle these days, as it is."

But the witch just shook her head in disbelief, before she straightened her posture and looked at him with her chin proudly raised. "It's called Prefect, Ronald," she scolded before she turned around to the twins. "And you!" She said with an angry expression on her face, while she pointed her index finger towards Fred's chest. "I really would have expected better of you. Do you have an idea what could happen, if someone like You-Know-Who got this book into his fingers? What would happen to all those people you noted down there?" Fred felt a pang of regret in his chest when he saw how her eyes shimmer with disappointment.

"If you'll excuse me? I've got somewhere else to be." She said and turned around with her head held high. And just like that, she stalked off.

"Merlin, does anyone else but I think she needs to lighten up a bit?" Ron grumbled and shook his head. "She's been like that ever since she returned from your date in Hogsmeade. What have you guys done to her?"

George looked at his little brother in surprise. "She has?"

His little brother nodded with a grumpy expression. "Yeah, but she didn't say what happened."

"Then we won't say anything either," Fred answered with a wide grin and closed his book with a snap. "Anyway, guys, we'll be off now. If you want to place another bet you know, where to find us!"

George nodded and together they strolled towards the next group of students. Fred was suddenly in a very good mood and it hadn't anything to do with their bets at all.

ssssssss

To say that Hermione was cross would have been an understatement. What did those twins think they were doing, collecting bets like that? Being an Open Link wasn't a game, for god's sake! For her, it was the scary reality now and she didn't need anyone who noted her name on some list saying that it could very well be her. What if the wrong people got that into their hands? That would add another stone to the burden she was already carrying around with her.

But it was even worse than that. Harry thought it was her, Harry of all people. Merlin, he was the one with a part of You-Know-Who's soul inside him, the one who regularly had strange dreams. What if the Dark Lord had already read this thought from him and sent his minions to get her?

Hermione felt herself shiver at the thought. What should she do now? Was there even anything she could do? Probably not, because when she started to make a big fuss now, it would make her look even more suspicious, right? And Severus told her that there were enough people watching closely for that kind of thing. But should she just ignore what Fred and George did, even though it could put her in the spotlight? Or should she maybe tip off Professor Umbridge? But what if she got their list into her fingers as a result of that? Would she want to talk to Hermione then? Probably.

Hermione groaned and stormed out of the castle. She hadn't even realized her legs carried her into that direction but when she took the first breaths of cold autumn air, she could feel her head starting to clear. Ever since she knew about her being the Open Link it felt like the walls of the castle were weighing her down or trying to suffocate her. She was sure that the hunt for the Open Link would go on. And no matter who found out about her condition would try to make choices for her. She could even imagine Dumbledore advertising a hasty sealing of a bond, to keep her safe, because in the long term that was the only way to make her uninteresting for those parties searching for her. But that was the thing. She didn't want to connect herself with anybody she didn't really love, just to be safe. And even less she wanted to bind herself to someone, because it would be advantageous to her or them in any way. The thought of doing that made her sick in the stomach.

Without having consciously decided to do so, Hermione walked down to the Black Lake. The shore of it would always remind her of her first and probably last trip into Professor Snape's head. Now, when she stood there she realized how exactly her mentor had visualized Hogwarts and its surroundings. He truly was a master Occlumens and once again Hermione thanked her lucky stars that the man had deemed it necessary to teach her in order to help Harry. What would she have done if fate hadn't helped her find such a valuable ally? If there was someone able to protect her and willing to let her have the freedom to choose a partner for herself then it was him. Yes, he was a grumpy and snarky man most of the time, but being with him in private was much more enjoyable than suffering through his insults during class. She knew now that Severus had to keep up appearances but that made her Potions lessons with him only slightly more bearable. Because every time he looked at her with that cold expression or mocked her enthusiasm during class it hurt and it hadn't been like this before. Was it because she was connected to him now? Did the Link make her want to be liked by him? It was possible. But it would mean that the Open Link influenced her feelings even more than she had realized before. Was it also the reason why she had been interested in both Weasley-twins at once? It would make sense, somehow, but on the other hand, it also didn't. Closing the Open Link was only possible with one person, right? She would have never been able to build a connection with both of them at the same time and so it was only right, that things ended between them before she got even more attached. It was hard enough as it was for her.

With a sigh, Hermione turned towards the water and picked up a handful of stones. One by one she threw them into the water and watched how each of them flew a little bit further than the last one. Fred and George had been true to their word and didn't treat her any differently than before the summer break. They didn't seem cross or upset and were back to treating her like a family member or a friend again. There were no more touches, no more winks or smiles. And Hermione realized she missed them, terribly. But it would get better with time, she promised herself, and if they kept doing stupid things like taking on bets on who was the Open Link, she would probably get much faster over her feelings for them than she deemed possible now.

sssssssss

Dolores had just finished her teaching for the day and retreated into her office when there was a hesitant knock on her door. She didn't expect any visitors as they were rare in Hogwarts, which left her alert and excited as she voiced her invitation to enter. For a moment nothing happened, but finally, her door was opened hesitantly and a nervous-looking, blonde girl stepped in. Dolores knew her from her lessons of course and as the fifth-grader stepped closer she used the time to recall everything she knew about the girl. Then she plastered a polite smile onto her face and looked at her before she said: "Yes, Miss Brown? How can I help you, Dear?"

The girl, which Dolores realized was quite pretty, looked at her with a nervous expression on her face. "May I sit down, Professor?"

"Of course, my Dear. Take a seat. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Miss Brown nodded and sunk onto the cushioned chair in front of her desk. Dolores had purchased that piece of furniture mostly because of the clever enchantment that was woven into it. The chair was designed to let whoever used it relax and calm down, as it would make it more likely for the person to feel comfortable in her office and therefore talk. And when she looked at the Brown-girl after she had filled two delicate porcelain cups with the tea she could see, that the enchantment had already started to take effect. Very good.

"Now tell me, my precious girl, what can I do for you?"

The girl looked at her with her cheeks coloured in excitement. "I came to ask for your help, Professor. I recently discovered that... I am the Open Link, Ma'am."

Dolores looked at the girl with wide eyes and a delighted smile on her lips. Finally! But it wouldn't do her any good to let her excitement cloud her judgement now. She would need more information before she really believed it was her. "How did you come to that conclusion, Miss Brown?"

"I already suspected it for a while, Ma'am. There have been all these strange feelings inside me and I started to feel so confused. But today... I was in my divination class, Professor. And Professor Trelawney, who is a big seer, took my hand and suddenly... she saw it." There was a seer at the school? Why hadn't she been informed of that fact? Was that another one of Dumbledore's schemes to keep her out of the line? Probably. She was sure the old man wanted to claim the Open Link for himself. She knew he was eying the Minister's position for a while now and aligning himself with the girl would have been the perfect move after he had so selflessly declared the return of You-Know-Who. Very clever, but unfortunately for him not nearly clever enough.

"She saw it, you say?" Dolores asked in could barely reign in her excitement. "What did she say? Did the other students hear it, too?"

Lavender Brown nodded with wide eyes. "They did, Professor, which is why I came to you immediately. What am I supposed to do now? You said that there was certain danger for the person being the Open Link."

Dolores nodded with a solemn expression. "There is, indeed. But luckily you came to me, right away. Don't fear, the Ministry will take care of you, immediately."

"Thank you, Professor," the girl replied with a tremble in her voice. "I'm so glad you're here for me."

"Of course, my Dear," she replied and took the girls trembling hand on the table. Luckily for Miss Brown, the Minister had chosen her, Dolores Umbridge, for the position as School Counsellor. Because Dolores knew what was to do. She'd contact the Minister right away and with a bit of luck, they'd be on their way to the Ministry an hour later. Dinner with the Minister and their new warden – wasn't that a thing to look forward to?

ssssssss

Severus was pleased with himself. Being the true Slytherin he was, he had played his cards quite nicely. He hadn't only won Miss Granger's trust and secured the Open Link for himself, but he had also taught the girl Occlumency and in turn provided her with the tools to defend herself if it became necessary. But more importantly: they had agreed on a set of rules to protect them both. The girl hadn't made a fuss at all and accepted them with a thankful smile.

Once in his life, he had indeed been lucky, not only by finding the girl but that it was Hermione Granger in the first place. Heaven forbid if it had been one of these other morons, whose presence he could hardly stand. Building up a friendly relationship with them would have been a nightmare and teaching them Occlumency or any other useful thing, impossible. Not to think of possible confused teenage hormones including the danger that one of those silly gooses could have suddenly imagined being in love with him.

But as things were, fate had chosen Hermione Granger, the one student with not only brains but also enough courage and discipline to make something of this impossible situation. She was the one who could turn the tables in this godforsaken war, who could make a difference. And Severus would be damned if he wouldn't grab this chance with both hands and help her do the impossible. If this meant befriending the girl for it, so be it. He wasn't a totally unsociable bastard after all, no matter what was said about him behind his back.


	18. Chapter 18

A.N.: Hey guys, I hope you still like the story. At the moment it's all very Hermione/Severus centred, but the twins will be back soon. You'll only need a bit more patience. I'm not sure about the update schedule for the next weeks, as Corona is shaking up everything a bit and I'll barely have time for writing. But I have four more finished chapters after this one, so I'll at least be able to post once a week. Anyway, let me know what you think. You've been suspiciously silent about the last chapters.

This chapter was betaed by my writer friend Multilingualism. You should check her out, in case you haven't done so already.

Chapter 18: Truth or lie?

Dolores Umbridge was very pleased with herself. She and the Open Link had made it safely out of Hogwarts and that hadn't been easy. She had barely finished her communication with the Minister with the help of the magical mirror he had given her for such an occasion when the Headmaster appeared right in front of her office door and demanded to be let in. And Dolores knew that it was only a matter of minutes or even seconds before he would break through. The castle wards responded to him, as the Headmaster of the school, and there wasn't much to be done to keep him out, which only left the option for them to leave the castle as quickly as possible.

Luckily for them, the Minister was a wise man and had already anticipated this situation.

"You're not safe here, Miss Brown," Dolores told her student hastily and saw that the girl stared at her office door with wide eyes. Dolores followed her look and saw with worry that the door had already started to gleam in blue light. They needed to get out – fast, as they had probably only seconds, until the wards to her office would break. "We need to get you to the Ministry. Minister Fudge will know how to help you."

The girl blinked in confusion. "But this is Professor Dumbledore, Ma'am. Do you think he would hurt me?"

Dolores had to stifle a groan. Silly goose! This was really not the time to discuss the girl's confused teenage-feelings. But she reigned her frustration in and said with a collected voice instead: "No, Miss Brown, I don't think the Headmaster intends to hurt you. But he is determined to get you and use you for his own machinations. I can't force you to come with me, of course, but the Headmaster Dumbledore will probably lock you away and not let you out of his sight. So there is only one chance for us to see the minister, and it is now."

Lavender Brown stared at her with wide, excited eyes. "Alright, Professor. Take me to the Minister then. I want to meet him."

Dolores looked at him with a wide smile. "And that you will. Now come, there's no time for us to lose." With a practised motion she pulled out her delicate rosewood wand and touched the bracelet on her left arm with its tip. "The Minister supplied me with a portkey, for emergencies. Hold on tight."

The girl hastily put her shaking hands on the portkey and it wasn't a second too soon. Dolores just felt the familiar tug behind her navel, when she saw the door to her office fly open. But it was already too late. Dolores and her Open Link disappeared just a moment later and all that was left was Dumbledore with a thunderous expression on his face.

ssssssss

The news that Lavender Brown was, in fact, the Open Link had made it through the castle by dinner. Not that anyone but Lavender herself and her friend Parvati believed much of the prophecies, that Professor Trelawney spouted during the day, but when the student visited Professor Umbridge's quarters right afterwards the lesson everything seemed pretty clear. When the Headmaster himself tried to storm said quarters half an hour later things seemed fairly obvious and so a sigh of relief went through the student body, paired with rumours what would happen to the new-found Open Link. Fred and George had to congratulate their little brother for his intuition for the first time in his life and handed him the eight Galleons and three Sickles with a proud clap onto his back.

"We didn't think you had it in you," Fred admitted and his little brother grunted before he savoured his beans on toast.

"Yeah. Well done, brother," George added with a smile.

Ron sent them a pleased grin and pocketed the money inside his robes. Then he turned towards his friends that were sitting across from him and said: "See, Hermione? No harm done. We all had a bit of fun and nobody got hurt."

The girl scowled at him. "This doesn't make this kind of stuff right, Ron. What if Lavender had preferred to keep things a secret? What if she hadn't wanted the Ministry's help?"

Ron snorted. "What does it matter, Hermione? She didn't. End of story. You just can't stand that you were wrong this time." Every sensible man, especially if he knew Hermione Granger, would have known that this was the wrong thing to say. The girl was on her feet in a matter of moments, her back ramrod straight and her head high.

"That's what you think, Ronald? Really? You think I'm upset because I was wrong?" She shook her head in disappointment, but then a flicker of something appeared in her eyes and she shook her head with a sigh. "Well, maybe I really am. Maybe I need to lighten up a bit, as you said. Obviously, danger isn't lurking behind every corner, as I thought."

George looked at the girl with wide eyes. Was she just trying to apologize?

"I'm sorry if I overreacted," she said the next moment and looked at them. "I think this whole situation after the Triwizard Tournament is starting to wear me a bit out." Hermione Granger was apologizing, George realized with a confused blink, for spoiling their fun. Huh.

Meanwhile, Ron grinned unconcernedly. "Yeah, probably. But now that you've realized it, you can probably start losing up a bit, huh?"

Hermione nodded. "I'll try. But you know it's not easy for me. Anyway, I need to go, guys. I hope to catch Professor Vector before the lesson starts and ask her about her last Arithmancy lesson."

The boys shrugged. "See you later for Potions then," Harry said and pulled a face. And George snorted. He really didn't envy them for having to suffer the dungeon bat for another year. His time in the Potion Master's presence was luckily over and there was no reason to suffer through the man's presence ever again, at least outside of Order meetings, and there Snape was luckily rarely seen as far as he knew. If they could also get rid of Umbridge now, then their life would be perfect – well almost. Because one specific person was noticeably absent from it.

ssssssss

Hermione had barely finished her lessons for the day when she found herself disillusioned in front of Professor Snape's office. The day had dragged on endlessly and even if there had been a sudden free period in her schedule, due to the absence of Professor Umbridge, Hermione had counted the minutes until she could finally come here. But now that she stood here, she wasn't even sure if she was welcome.

"How long do you intend staring at my door, girl?" she suddenly heard the Potion Master's voice in front of her and just then she realized that the door was suddenly open and the man was standing right in front of her. How had he known she was here? "Do you plan to come in, or are you just admiring the woodwork?"

He didn't wait for her answer and just stepped aside. Hermione only hesitated a moment, before she followed him in. His office door closed as soon as she entered, but to her surprise, Severus didn't stop there and went to the door that connected the room to his private quarters. She followed him with slow, measured steps to the sofa she had found herself on a few weeks ago and let her disillusionment drop. Then she let herself sink onto the soft, leathery fabric. The Professor sat down in one of the leathered armchairs at her left a moment later.

"Sorry, for disturbing your afternoon, Sir," she said sheepishly and stared into her lap. She, therefore, couldn't see his reaction but his voice sounded totally neutral when he replied: "I already expected you, so you were not disturbing anything."

Hermione looked up at him in surprise and blinked. "Oh."

"Don't look so upset, Hermione. It was quite obvious, after watching you during breakfast. You need to learn to keep your emotions in check." His voice was surprisingly kind, but Hermione still felt the sting of tears behind her eyes. "It's only a matter of time until our dear High Inquisitor notices that they've got the wrong person."

She nodded. "Does that mean you don't think I made this up? I wasn't sure because…"

Severus looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Because what? Because the whole school seems to believe this laughable display? I didn't think you took me for a moron, Hermione."

"I didn't! I don't!" she hastily assured him with wide eyes. "It's just that even the Headmaster seems to believe it's Lavender…"

He snorted. "So? Albus Dumbledore is not known to spend much time in the presence of his students. He hasn't suffered through four years of teaching that insufferable girl. She's as much of an Open Link as I'm a sociable person. And just because Sybil had another of her visions, I'm not going to be convinced otherwise."

Even though she wasn't even aware of it, Hermione's shoulders sagged in relief. "When you put it like that… Sorry, if I'm being ridiculous. It's just… My friends are a bit much for me these days. Can you imagine? Fred and George were starting to take on bets on who's the Open Link like this was some sort of game and nobody seemed to understand, what a bad idea it was collecting names of potential candidates like that."

"Let me guess, they thought you were overreacting," Severus said calmly but with a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

She nodded in frustration. "Yeah. And the worst part about it, my name was even on that list; Harry put it there."

Her Professor hummed thoughtfully before he got up to prepare some tea in the kitchenette that Hermione could see in the back of the room. For a while, he didn't say anything and Hermione listened to the clatter of dishes, while she tried to calm her agitated thoughts. It wasn't long until he placed a steaming cup of tea in front of her, while he sat down with his own one in hand. "Let me be frank with you, Hermione. It will only be a matter of time, I think days before it becomes known that Miss Brown is not the Open Link. There seems to be a way of testing it in the Department of Mysteries and if I have to make an educated guess, this is where Miss Brown, our High Inquisitor and the Minister are currently heading. As soon as she's back in school, the hunt for the Open Link will start again and as time goes by the measures to find said person will get more and more desperate."

Hermione nodded. An uneasy feeling had settled in the pit of her stomach and she could feel herself starting to tremble at her Professor's words. "I know," she said silently and took a careful sip from her cup before she placed it on the table with shaking fingers. "But what am I supposed to do then?"

Severus looked at her with his dark eyes and for a moment he didn't reply. Then he sighed, rubbed his forehead and said: "Well, there's an easy way out of this situation. Get yourself a boyfriend and… seal the bond." His expression was totally neutral when he said it, but Hermione still stared at him with wide eyes. "What? You want me to… no. Absolutely not. I can't just pick someone and get it over with. I'd be linked to him for life and I'm not doing this if I'm not sure if I love him."

The man sighed. "I know. But I still wanted for you to know all your options, not just for now but also for later when things get more desperate."

"I understand," she said and hung her head.

"Good. As this currently doesn't seem an option, you'll have to improve your acting skills. Not only your friends noticed that there's something amiss with you and that has to stop, immediately. You need to learn to lie, Hermione, and you need to learn it fast."

He had a point, Hermione realized, but there was a huge problem. She wore her heart on her sleeve. Lying was the one thing she really wasn't any good at. "How? I'm such a bad liar and it's not like I can walk around and just practise."

Severus sighed. "Then you'll have to practise with me, I guess. Because as it seems, there's nobody else."

The whole situation was totally surreal and if anybody would have told her that she'd be sitting in Professor Snape's private quarters and he'd offer to teach her lying while they were having tea together, she would have laughed and thought they were taking the Mickey out of her. But fact was, that this was her new reality and somehow she'd have to adapt. "Alright," Hermione said and sighed.

"Let's make this a game, then, like truth or lie. Do you know this one, Hermione? I'll start telling you something. This way you'll probably feel a bit more comfortable when it's your turn. It could also help to establish the link between us a bit further."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. "You want to strengthen the link? But I…"

The man looked at her with a stony expression. "Stop right there. I remember the rule we established and I mean it. There will be no romance between us, not ever. This ship has sailed for me, so stop panicking Hermione. Still strengthening the bond would be advisable, as it would help us when things start going south. Currently, our magical cores are only liked by something like a small straw. It is enough to stabilize your magic, but in case you get attacked, it won't be much of a help. But the more we start to… know and trust each other, the wider the straw becomes. Ideally, I'd prefer something like a pipe in case we have to draw magic from each other fast."

"I think I don't understand what you're suggesting, Severus," Hermione said and looked at him with a helpless expression. The man sighed and Hermione could have sworn that he suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable.

"I suggest that we try to get to know each other better. And hopefully, we'll discover that we are not totally averse to spending time in each other's presence."

She looked at him with a small smile. "Alright. And who knows? Maybe we'll even become friends."

He looked at her with a raised brow. "Was that your attempt telling me your first lie, Hermione? Because it almost sounded convincing."

The chuckle escaped her mouth before Hermione could help it. "That's only because I was telling the truth. The last weeks showed me that I didn't know you very well, Severus and you're right. It's time to change that."

At that, the corners of his mouth twitched. "Alright. Then let's start our little game. Are you ready?"

Hermione nodded eagerly before she started studying Severus' expression. It was only a moment before he said: "I always wanted a cat when I was a kid. I was never allowed to have one, though and today I'm glad I wasn't. Merlin knows what would have happened to the poor animal in my father's presence."

The man stared at her with a serious expression and Hermione shook her head in frustration. It was impossible to tell, if he had just lied or if this really was a sad story from his childhood. She sighed. "It's the truth," she said and stared at him to wait for his answer.

The man sighed. "No, it was a lie. I just told you what you wanted to hear, which made lying even easier. I don't even like cats, Hermione. They're far too bossy for my liking."

She couldn't help but snort before she looked at him with a raised brow. "And you don't like to be bossed around? How very surprising." Hermione managed to hold her laughter in for a second before it erupted out of her with a snort and she started giggling helplessly. Within moments she had to hold her aching tummy, but the giggles would and would not stop, not even when she saw Severus' dark expression. That only made it worse. And so it was many minutes later when the last giggles finally died down and Hermione looked at her Professor while wheezing for air. "Sorry, Severus, but I think I needed that."

The man looked at her with an unreadable expression on the face. "I'm sure you did. Well Hermione, now it's your turn. Tell me a truth, or a falsehood, your choice."

She took a deep breath and started to think. Lying to him would be almost impossible, as he had seen most of her memories anyway. But they were only doing this for practice anyway. "I'm afraid of heights. When I was a little girl I climbed into a tree in order to get a ball that was stuck there. I fell down and broke my arm. Ever since I'm afraid to leave the ground."

Hermione stared at her Professor and tried not to blink. The man looked at her with a thoughtful expression, until finally, his mouth twitched. "The part with the tree was a lie," he said and looked at her with a raised brow. "For the rest, I'd say it was the truth."

She groaned in disappointment. "Yeah, you're right. How could you tell I was lying?"

"Your eyes. You didn't blink, not once which was very suspicious."

Hermione nodded in resignation. "Right, I'll remember to blink next time then. Your turn, Professor."

The man nodded with an almost bored expression. "My best friend as a child was a muggle-born. I met her before we even got our Hogwarts letters but when we finally were at school, we were sorted into different houses. Later on, I mucked things up, badly and I'm still regretting what I've done."

Again, there was nothing in his expression that could give away, if her Professor just had lied to her. But she remembered that he was probably again telling her things she wanted to hear and said: "That was a lie."

The man shook his head with a sad expression. "No, unfortunately, it wasn't. I wish it was."

Suddenly Severus didn't look like her Professor at all and instead, there was a sad, lost man sitting in front of her. And Hermione's heart went out for him. "I'm sorry, Severus. Can I… is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head with a carefully blank expression on his face. "No. It was many years ago. She's dead now."

Hermione winced in sympathy. "And you never made up, before she died? Oh, Severus!" Before she knew what she was doing she leapt from the sofa and pulled him into an embrace, while standing in front of the armchair. It was an awkward position and for a moment Severus was stiff as a board, but finally, his body relaxed a bit and she could feel his hand pat her back.

"I… it's alright Hermione, I'm alright," he assured her awkwardly and she hastily pulled away from him. But instead of going back to the sofa she kneeled down in front of him and looked at him with sad eyes.

"You're lying," she said and in another fit of boldness, she took his hands into hers. "And don't even try denying it. I can see it in your eyes."

Severus Snape stared down at her and nodded slowly. "I know. But it's the lie I keep telling myself in the hope that I'll believe it one day and make it the truth."

She gently pressed his hand and nodded. "I understand. And I'm not judging you, Severus Snape. But I want you to know that you are no longer alone because now, you have a new friend, Severus. She's a muggle-born too and quite bossy sometimes. You'll have a hard time scaring her off because she already knows all your dark looks and is not afraid of them."

He stared at her with a confused look on his face. "You're asking me to be my friend?"

Hermione shook her head with a smile. "No, Severus, I am not asking you anything. I am merely letting you in on the facts. I am your friend, not because of the Open Link, but because I want to be. I want to be there for you and I know you'll be there for me. Don't try denying it. I know you are a good person, Severus Snape, you won't convince me otherwise."

The man blinked at her with an open mouth. "Are you… you are not trying to sell me another lie, are you?"

She shook her head with a smile. "No, I meant it, every word. And now I'm going to hug you again and not just to prove my point."

Severus looked at her with a crooked smile. "You really are bossy, aren't you?"

Hermione snorted. "Absolutely. So better you get used to it, now. Luckily for you, I'm not a cat though. And now come here." She pulled him into another hug and this time Severus hugged her back - tightly. And it didn't feel awkward at all, Hermione though. No, somehow it just felt right.


	19. Chapter 19

A.N.: Hey guys, I worked really hard to be able to upload this chapter for you today. Currently, I'm stuck inside doing home-office while watching my very energetic toddler, which means that it's hard to get anything done. But as I'm currently in isolation with almost no chance of getting outside, as probably most of you, I wanted to have at least some contact with people and so I wanted to share another chapter with you. You'd make me very happy if you'd leave a comment for me, not just about how you liked the chapter, but how you are in general. I'm really interested to hear from all of you!

Chapter 19: Dark clouds

School could have been so much more pleasant with the High Inquisitor out of Hogwarts now, but the peace only lasted for a day and then hell broke loose. Fred and George had just made it down to the breakfast table when the first owls swooped down and delivered their cargo to the people around them. The twins didn't expect anything as they were not the type to order the newspaper and their mum only wrote them once a week and her letter was usually delivered on Mondays.

"No!" they heard the shocked gasp from across the table and when they looked up, they saw Hermione pointing at the newspaper, which she received daily, with her eyes wide in shock. Harry and Ron sat left and right to her today and they were leaning in to read, whatever she had found on the first page of the Daily Prophet. The headline was big and easy to read, even upside down. "Open Link disappeared from the Ministry," the newsletter stated in bold, black letters and below there was a picture of Lavender, that was shaking Minister Fudge's hand with a shy smile. Fred could only guess what it meant, but it wasn't long until listening in to Hermione's conversation with her friends supplied him with all the facts.

"Bloody hell," Ron exclaimed and put his fork down like he had just lost his appetite. "She really disappeared right under Fudge's nose?"

"Looks like it," Harry confirmed with a sour expression. "She should have never left Hogwarts. Dumbledore would have been able to keep her safe, but Fudge? The Ministry is full of Death Eaters and I wouldn't be surprised if one of them made her disappear. And it's not like they upped their security since summer, as they still refuse to accept that Voldemort's back."

Hermione nodded with a tired expression. "Yeah. The article says that they've just been on their way into the Department of Mysteries, but it doesn't say why. And somehow Lavender just disappeared into thin air. I bet You-Know-Who has her, even though the Prophet tries to blame Dumbledore. I wouldn't be surprised if Professor Umbridge will be back to the castle within the next hour and start looking for her."

Harry sighed. "Probably. They keep denying Voldemort's return, after all, so they can't very well admit, that he has her. But Merlin, that's bad. What if he manages to convince Lavender to forge a bond to him? He'd become even more powerful then."

"Then let's hope it's not him who has her, even though that's probably wishful thinking," Ron said and started piling egg and bacon onto his plate. George shook his head and looked at Fred with a worried expression.

"Do you reckon Dumbledore will try to save her?" he asked and his twin shrugged with a dark look on his face.

"Dunno. First, he has to find out where she is. And that won't be easy. It's not like the guy has an address or something," Fred replied.

"Yeah. Which means we are more or less fucked," George said and sighed. Merlin, he had hoped this would turn out to be a good day. He'd never been so wrong in his life.

ssssssss

Dolores had a really bad day. This should have been the day, where the Minister congratulated her for her great work but instead Lavender Brown had somehow managed to disappear right under her nose. This shouldn't have been possible, the Ministry of Magic was one of the safest places in wizarding Britain after all, but that didn't make the girl's sudden disappearance any more real. As soon as Dolores realized that the Open Link was gone, she sent the whole Auror corps to search the Ministry. But as the minutes and hours trickled by it got more and more certain that the girl was no longer there. Where was she? Who had taken her and how? It was all a big Mystery, but for Dolores, there was only one possibility. Because there was one person that wanted the Open Link's support as much as the Minister wanted it, Albus Dumbledore. He had the power to take the girl from them, to abduct her without anyone noticing, and the fact that he had constructed the story of You-Know-Who's return to strengthen his claim on the Minister's position only made it more obvious to what lengths the old wizard was willing to go. But unfortunately for him, Dolores knew exactly what he was capable of and so she had no qualms to utilise the strength of the security department and bring ten Auror back with her to Hogwarts. If the Open Link was back to the castle, then Dolores would find her and if it was the last thing she was doing in her life.

It was noon when she finally arrived at the castle. The students were all back to their afternoon lessons already and so there was no one waiting for them when they passed the gate to the Hogwarts-grounds, no one but the Headmaster himself. The man wore a richly decorated robe in a dark purple colour and looked at the assembled Aurors with a curious expression on his face, while his hands were clasped behind his back.

"Good day, Dolores. I see you are back to the castle. To what do I owe the pleasure of your hasty return?"

The old man looked at her with a twinkle in his blue eyes and it took all her willpower to keep her composure. Because he knew very well, what made her return to the castle. "We are looking for Miss Brown, Headmaster, and we believe that she is here, at Hogwarts."

"But she isn't Dolores. In fact, you are the person who removed her from the castle and therefore made her leave the protective wards that were supposed to keep her safe." He looked at her with a sad, disappointed expression but Dolores was not buying it.

"That was before you brought her back, Dumbledore. But we'll find her, no matter where you are trying to hide her from me and if we do, be assured that the Minister will hear of your betrayal, Headmaster. This will have consequences for you."

The old man bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Unfortunately for all of us, Miss Brown is not at the castle, Dolores. There's only one person who's powerful enough to let her disappear like this, but as long as the Ministry keeps denying his return, I fear, there isn't much either of us can do." With that, his eyes left her and drifted towards the assembled Aurors. "I'm sure there will be consequences of Miss Brown's disappearance and we'll all have to face them rather sooner than later."

The men stared at the Headmaster with wide eyes and Dolores could feel them shifting nervously next to her. But she would not be discouraged that easily.

"Well Headmaster, unfortunately, the Minister and I have seen through your lies. We know this is only a plot to claim the Minister's position for yourself, but we are not falling for it." With that, she turned to the assembled Aurors. "Aurors of the Ministry! The Minister tasked us to find Miss Brown and we will not rest until the girl is found. We will not leave any stone of the castle unturned do you hear me?"

"Yes, Ma'am," the men chorused and saluted towards her.

"Very well, every teacher that refuses his cooperation is to be treated as an enemy to the Ministry and will be removed from the castle," Dolores continued and the Aurors nodded in understanding. Then Dolores turned back to Dumbledore and looked at him with a warning expression.

"We will start searching the castle now. I strongly advise you not to interfere, Dumbledore, otherwise I am entitled to remove you from the castle, Professor."

The man nodded, but to her dismay, he didn't look worried at all. "Very well, Dolores. I wish you good luck," he said and nodded with a smile. If he meant their search or the attempt to remove him from the castle, he did not say.

ssssssss

It was only three days until the next Hogsmead weekend and to Hermione's surprise, the trip was not cancelled, even though Lavender Brown was still not found. As she had predicted, the Ministry had sent its Aurors to search the castle but after two days of intensive search and disruption of their lessons, the Aurors had finally disappeared and only a very grumpy Professor Umbridge stayed behind. She had declared, that she was still convinced, that the Open Link was in fact at Hogwarts and so she would resume her position as High Inquisitor and monitor the castle in the hope to find the girl. It was a futile hope, Hermione thought, but it was enough for the Ministry employee to stay at the castle. And so there was again one more pair of eyes she had to be careful of.

"Let's go to Honeyduke's first," Ron stated, as he, Harry and Hermione strolled down the footpath towards Hogsmead. It was a blessing to finally get out of the castle for a while. "I heard they have a variety of new Halloween sweets and I'm determined to try them all."

Hermione sighed. "You know, Ron, somehow I get the impression that you want to spend all the money you got out of the bet at once."

The boy nodded enthusiastically. " 'Course I do. But don't worry, I won't spend it all on sweets. Zonko's has a new Halloween collection, too."

Harry grinned. Of course, the boys would think it a great idea, even though Ron would have been much better off, saving the money. Because it would only be some days before he would start to moan his lack of money again because the sweets and joke products would be spent then. She shook her head in exasperation. "I guess there's no chance to convince you otherwise," she said with a sigh and Ron grinned.

"Nope. Once in my life I have enough money to finally have some fun at Hogsmead and I'm going to enjoy that," her friend declared with a goofy grin.

Hermione sighed. Sometimes she really couldn't understand those boys. One of their fellow Gryffindors was missing, for Merlin's sake. How could they even feel like celebrating at all? But she remembered Snape's words and even though old Hermione would have still scolded them, it was probably the wiser choice to just tell them, what they wanted to hear. "Alright. It's your money Ron and I'm not your mum."

"Really? You're not going to tell me off because of this?" Ron asked her in disbelief, just as the first houses of the village came into view.

She nodded and tried to keep a straight face. It was her chance to shake off some suspicions that still might lay on her and practise her acting skills. "No, I'm not. As it looks there won't be many other happy Hogsmead outings in our future. Now, that he has the Open Link…" She shook her head. "Who knows how long it will be, until we are no longer allowed to even go? So I guess we should enjoy the time we have left as good as we can."

The boys nodded solemnly. "Guess you're right," Harry agreed with a sad smile. "Will you come with us then?"

She nodded with a smile. "As I don't have a date today, there is no reason why I shouldn't. As long as there's some time for me to visit the bookshop?"

"Sure," Ron said with a lazy smile. "And afterwards we'll all go to the three broomsticks. Butterbeer's on me, today."

"Sounds like a plan," Harry said cheerfully. "Let's all try to enjoy the day, Okay? As much as we can."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, let's do this, as much as we can." Which in her case wasn't all that much, but that was something the boys didn't need to know.

ssssssss

The last weeks of the year were a challenge to Fred and George. Ever since the High Inquisitor's return to the castle six new Educational Decrees were released, each of them more ridiculous than the one before. It was no longer allowed to play music in school - George didn't even have an idea why that was supposed to be forbidden – and since a few days, there was now in Inquisitorial Squad at the castle that was watching out for any sign of the Open Link. Ironically this squad mainly consisted of Slytherins and Fred was pretty sure that they would never hand over Lavender to Umbridge if she was ever found at the castle, which was highly improbable. But the members of Umbridge's little amateur Aurors were still annoying enough, to make the twin's life a living hell. Because the Inquisitorial Squad was not only on watch-out for the Open Link, but they were also tasked to monitor the student's compliance with the Educational Decreed. They were even allowed to take points if they found, that someone overstepped a rule. This meant, that Umbridge suddenly had at least 40 eyes and ears which meant, that they couldn't even sneeze without her knowing. It wasn't only bad for their business, which they had planned to start by selling products to their fellow students, but also for their morale. Because pulling pranks or doing anything else that could have been fun was nearly impossible. And Fred and George hated it.

But it wasn't until two weeks before Christmas until things went really south. It was the middle of the night when they were suddenly awoken by a very dishevelled-looking Professor Mc McGonagall. They found themselves back in her office only minutes later and to their dismay they found, that Ginny and Ron were already waiting there for them with solemn expressions on their faces.

"What happened? What's wrong?" George hastily asked them but just as Ron wanted to answer him, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and said:

"Your father has been attacked. He… was on duty for the Order tonight but he's been found badly wounded, which is the reason why I called you here."

Fred nodded mutely, even though he felt his heart beat heavily in his chest. Merlin, this was bad. "Attacked by whom?" he asked confusedly and stared at his Head of the House. "And where?"

"It was the snake, You-Know-Who's snake," Ron immediately answered before the Professor could even open her mouth. "Dunno where, though."

McGonagall sent him a stern look. "It is of no importance where he was wounded. Important is, that your father has been brought to St Mungo's and that your mother has requested the four of you come home immediately."

George exhaled and anxiously looked at his siblings. "That sounds bad."

"Yeah," his sister agreed with a dark expression on her face.

"It's too early to make any predictions," McGonagall said with a sigh. "But you should not lose hope. Your father is still alive and he might be for a long time. Nevertheless, your mother needs you as much as he does now."

Fred nodded. "Yeah. We must go home immediately. Is there any way to floo to the Burrow?"

"Of course, Mr Weasley," the older woman answered with a nod. I'll have the house-elves ready your things within minutes and then you can be off. You'll floo directly from my office, as we don't want the wrong persons to get wind of your early departure into the Christmas Holidays."

The four siblings nodded in understanding. "Thank you, Professor," Ginny said with a sad smile on her lips. "We really appreciate it."

"Nonsense," the stern woman replied with a headshake. "That's the least I can do for you." And somehow her words didn't exactly help the twins to feel better.

ssssssss

When Hermione went down for breakfast the next day, she had the feeling that something was seriously wrong. It wasn't that there was any hint for it in particular, but ever since she got up from her bed, she felt the strange feeling of foreboding in her stomach that simply wouldn't go away. And it definitely didn't get better, when she saw Ron and the other Weasleys missing from the breakfast table.

"Where's Ron?" she asked Harry, who was already sitting at the breakfast table looking like he hadn't slept much that night.

"At home, Ginny and the other Weasley's too," he murmured silently and Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "Their father got attacked last night while he was doing something for the Order."

"Merlin," Hermione exclaimed and looked at her plate with a churning stomach. Suddenly she wasn't hungry at all. "How bad is it? Is he…?"

"Dunno," Harry said with a sad little shrug before he continued to whisper: "It was Voldemort's Snake who got him. I… I saw the attack in a dream, Hermione."

She stared at him with wide eyes. "You saw it? Was he there, too?"

"Dunno, I don't think so. It… I saw it through the eyes of the Snake, I was the snake in this dream," he whispered and from his expression, Hermione could see how afraid he was because of that.

"That's bad Harry, really bad. Didn't you do the exercises I showed you before you went to bed? It's really important and…" she didn't get any further, as he interrupted her with a harsh whisper.

"I know, Hermione. But what would have happened when I didn't have that dream? Dumbledore said they were lucky to have found him that soon, otherwise, he wouldn't have had a chance."

She swallowed heavily. "Okay, alright. I'm just worried about you, Harry. What if that connection starts to get even stronger? We don't know what this could do to you…"

Harry looked at her with a sour expression. "I know," he said. "And I swear I'm trying to empty my mind, Hermione, it just doesn't seem to work."

She sighed. "Then we need to practise even harder, Harry. We already lost the Open Link to him, Harry, we can't lose you too."

Her friend nodded. "I know. It's just so hard sometimes."

Hermione carefully put her hand onto his arm and even though this made the churning in her stomach worse, she forced herself to leave it there. "I know Harry. But you're not alone in this. You've got friends that are there for you. I'm there for you, whenever you need me, Okay?"

"Yeah Okay," Harry said with a tired sigh and even though he cast her a small smile it didn't reach his eyes. But Hermione couldn't blame him because she also didn't feel like smiling at all.

ssssssss


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Hard decisions

Ever since Mr Weasley's injury Hermione's thoughts started spinning in circles. As Severus had predicted the times were getting more dark and dangerous very quickly and Hermione could almost feel the dark clouds forming over her. And she couldn't help but worry.

How long would it take until it was clear that Lavender was not the Open Link? And what would happen then? Would they ever see her again? And would the hunt for the Open Link begin anew? She didn't know but she expected that this was only a short reprieve for her.

"Come in," Severus' voice invited her in after she found herself disillusioned in front of his office – again. She expected that it wouldn't be long until the man was fed up with her and her insecurities, but at the moment he was the only person she could openly talk to.

Hermione followed Severus hesitantly inside and cancelled the disillusionment as soon as they had reached his private quarters again. For some reason, he didn't stay with her in his office anymore, but Hermione didn't complain, as she liked his private quarters much better.

"How can I help you today, Hermione?" he asked her patiently as soon as they had both sat down. Hermione had chosen the sofa again and today Severus sat down right next to her. Some weeks ago she would have been uncomfortable with it, but now she enjoyed his calming presence.

"I need your advice, Severus," Hermione admitted and looked into his black eyes. "I am worried about my parents. It is only a matter of time until Lavender is found out not to be the Link and I don't know how long I have afterwards until… you know."

Her friend nodded solemnly and she continued: "But it's not only that. You told me that things will get worse and now that Mr Weasley was attacked, I realized that we don't know how much longer it will be until Muggles and especially the parents of Muggleborns are attacked."

"And you are worried they will come after your parents?" he asked her with an understanding expression on his face.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. But I don't know what I should do. What can I even do? When I tell my parents how dangerous our world has gotten, they will remove me from school and most likely move to France or something. But if I don't tell them, then it's only a matter of time until they become a target, right?"

Severus sighed. "Most likely, yeah. It's hard to say how much time there is left, but as soon as you are found out, they will be in danger. I am sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be. It's not your fault." Hermione gently placed her hand over his and smiled. "To be honest, I don't know what I would do without your support and advice. It's the only thing that's keeping me calm and collected right now. Thank you."

He grunted something unintelligible as a response.

"What should I do, Severus? This whole situation is so much out of my depth that I simply don't know."

Her Professor sighed. "That's a difficult question, Hermione and there's no right answer to this. It's a decision you have to make on your own. What do you want to do Hermione? Do you want to tell them the truth? Do you want to leave the country? Or do you want to stay here but know that they are safe?"

Hermione thought long about his question. The thought of leaving her friends alone in this mess felt wrong and made her heart ache. But she also needed to keep her parents safe, because she would never forgive herself if something happened to them. She sighed before she told this to Severus.

He nodded with a serious expression. "And you are sure that they wouldn't leave the country without you? Because that's what they need to do if you want them to be safe."

"No, they wouldn't. They'd either stay or force me to come with them and as I am not of age…"

Severus stroked his chin before he said: "Then you'll need to obliviate them and send them away. It's the only way to get what you want if you're sure you wouldn't be able to convince them without the help of magic. But you need to be aware, that they might never forgive you afterwards."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. He was right, even though she didn't like the answer he had given her. Modifying her parent's memories? Could she even do that? What, if she messed something up? She was only a fifth year, after all. She stared into her lap and folded her hands there. After a while, she started wringing them, but the heaviness she felt on her heart was only increasing. "I'm not sure if I can do that, Severus. It's not only that I would have to delete something from their mind, but I'd also need to modify their memory. This is really advanced magic."

He nodded. "Indeed."

Hermione looked at her hands with a small sigh. "I know this is probably too much to ask of you but… could you do it? Please?"

Severus expression morphed to one of disbelief. "You want me to modify your parent's memories?"

She nodded and involuntarily her lip was back between her teeth. "I know you are not a professional Obliviator, but you do know a lot about the human mind. And you know my parents like no other magical person." Hermione looked at him with her eyes full of desperation. "Please, Severus."

He looked at her for a long while and seemed to study her with his eyes. But finally, he sighed and said: "I'll do it. But only if you're sure that's what you want. Asking somebody to do something like that requires a lot of trust."

"I trust you, Severus, absolutely," she assured him and took his hands once more.

"Very well. Then I'll visit your parent's house two days after Christmas. You'll need a place where you can stay afterwards though, not only for now. But what will you do during the summer holidays?"

She sighed. "There's always the Burrow. I guess the Weasleys would take me in if I'd ask them. But they might ask questions and I'm not sure how to answer them."

"There's enough time for you to think of something, but you'll have to let them know soon, or otherwise it will look too suspicious."

"I guess you're right. But I'll come up with something," she said and smiled shyly.

He snorted. "I'm sure you will. Just take it as a chance to practise your lying skills, because you'll be forced to use them quite a lot if we're really doing this."

"I know," Hermione admitted with a solemn expression. "But it's worth it and I'd do so much more to keep the ones I love safe."

Severus nodded with a grim expression. "Good, because you'll probably have to before this war is over."

ssssssss

The Burrow felt empty without their dad and so Fred and George didn't mind too much, when their mum told them, that they would move to Grimmauld Place over the holidays. Yes, Fred and George didn't like the dark and gloomy place, but almost losing one's father put some things back into perspective, even for them. Because when there was something both of them loved, it was their family.

But to their surprise, Grimmauld Place wasn't that dark and gloomy at all. Their mum must have used her free time to clean out some more of the rooms and even though that house-elf was still a grumpy bastard, his owner wasn't much like the person Fred and George had met during their summer holidays. Sirius Black didn't only look worlds better than the thin, exhausted man he had been a few months ago, he also had rediscovered a part of his once cheerful personality. He happily whistled his way through the house and had cheerfully started to put up Christmas decoration everywhere and for some reason, this almost cheered them up as much as the news that their dad would indeed recover because that was the greatest news of all. Their father had survived an attack that was meant to kill him and even though he still looked weak, the smile was already back on his face, when they visited him in his little room at St Mungos. And when he told them, that he'd most likely be home for Christmas, it was the best Christmas present he could have given them.

" 'm glad he's okay," George mumbled when the two of them had crawled into their beds in the evening.

"Me too, Georgie," Fred agreed with a sigh. "But he might not be the next time, you know? If this whole thing has taught me something then it's, that this war is getting fucking dangerous - even more now that the Open Link disappeared on us."

"I know, Fred. How much longer will it be until the next person dies or disappears? How many of our family will be left next year for Christmas?"

"Let's not think about it now, Georgie," Fred said and a moment later he climbed out of his bed and joined George in his. They used to climb into each other's beds a lot in the past, but as they grew older those occasions became rarer and rarer. Nowadays they only did it, when one of them needed comfort and at the moment they both did. "No matter what happens, it will always be you and me," Fred said and pulled his brother into a hug.

George nodded against his shoulder. "Yeah, no matter how dark the times will get, I'll be at your side. And together we'll pull through, Okay?"

"Absolutely. You and me, Georgie. Voldisnort doesn't stand a chance."

sssssssss

Lying to her parents was the hardest, Hermione found, not only because she loved them and it hurt her to do it, but also they knew her since her childhood and so it was easy for them to spot a lie. But Hermione meant what she told Severus. She was prepared to do so much more to keep them save and so she put on a happy face when she met them at Kings Cross and started chatting happily about her school year. Her parents listened to her happy ramblings all the way home and Hermione entertained them with every happy story she remembered from her time at school. But with every laugh or chuckle from her parents, her heart broke a bit more for them. When she was finally able to close the door to her room in the evening of her first day at home, she buried her face in her pillow and shed bitter tears for the time she would probably never have with her parents and for their trust, that she'd probably lose forever. She wasn't sure how she should survive the days until Severus was finally here and would take them from her, probably for forever. Even though Hermione was at home, she felt as lonely as she did never before in her life and she desperately wished that there was someone, who would hold her and help her through these desperate times. And in a hidden corner of her heart, she realized, that it was not one but in fact two boys she was wishing for, even though she knew she could never have them. But just tonight, she allowed herself to dream about them, how it would feel to lie in their arms and be kissed by them. And somehow that made her feel a little bit better.

"Well honey," her mum said the next morning after breakfast. "You've been suspiciously silent about your love-life ever since you were back to Hogwarts. Wasn't there this nice red-headed boy? What was his name again?"

Hermione groaned inwardly. She should have known that her mum would pick the first moment with her dad out of the house to interrogate her daughter. Hermione's mum knew very well, what George's name was but this was her not-so-subtle way to pick her daughter's brain. Hermione smiled. "You mean Ron?"

Emma Granger rolled her eyes. "No, not Ron, sweetheart. There was this very handsome brother of his, George wasn't it?"

Hermione snorted. "Yeah, there are George and Fred for that matter." She looked at her mum with pink cheeks. Usually, she would have been shy to talk to her about those kinds of feeling, but this was probably the last chance for her to get some motherly advice. And so she said: "They invited me to a date to Hogsmead, mum."

"What, both of them?" the woman across from her said and looked her with a stunned expression.

Hermione pressed her lips together and nodded. "Yeah. They said they wanted me to get to know them better… to be able to decide if I'd want to date one of them properly someday. But the thing is mum…" She swallowed heavily. "I never could…"

"You like them both, don't you?" Emma Granger said with an understanding smile on her face and Hermione nodded sadly.

"I do. I know I shouldn't because obviously, I can't have them both. But god, I wish I could."

Suddenly her mum was right next to her and pulled her to her feet and into a hug. "That's what you told them, didn't you?" she asked and stroked her daughter's curls. Hermione nodded mutely against her shoulder.

"I had to. I couldn't string them along and give them hope for a decision I would never be able to make. It wouldn't have been fair to any of them."

"No, it wouldn't. But the heart wants, what the heart wants, doesn't it?" her mum asked.

"Yeah," Hermione admitted sadly. "This was weeks ago but somehow I still want them. How long does it take, until these feelings go away, mum?"

"Sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes months. And sometimes not even years are enough to forget a person. Let's hope it's not the latter in your case," the woman said and smiled. "Because growing into an adult is hard enough as it is without having the heartbreak on top of it."

Hermione snorted. "You don't say. Believe me, sometimes I feel like everybody around me has started going crazy. Everyone is suddenly so emotional and there's so much drama around… It's like being in a rollercoaster of feelings."

Her mum patted her back lovingly. "It is. But that's puberty. You'll pull through one day, don't worry. And until then you better find yourself a nice guy for a snog or two."

Hermione giggled. "I bet you're telling me the total opposite from what those pure-blooded witches get to hear from their parents. For them, it's all about being proper and upholding the name of their family."

Emma Granger snorted. "That sounds like they're still stuck somewhere in the middle ages."

"Yeah," Hermione replied with a little smile, as she imagined Malfoy's reaction to her mum's words. She was sure he wouldn't like to be called stuck in the middle-ages. But the guy probably didn't even have an idea, how a modern family looked like. "I'm happy I've got two as open-minded parents like you." Hermione's heart broke at her words because she knew very well, that it wouldn't be long until her parents wouldn't even remember they had a daughter at all. She could only beg, that all of them would survive the war and that they would forgive her one day. Not that Hermione had much of a choice in that matter if she wanted to keep them save.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Separate ways

When Severus apparated to the address Hermione had given him, he didn't know what to expect. He knew Hermione's home from her memories and he had seen glimpses of her parents, but he didn't know in which mood he'd find either of them. Had Hermione managed to hold up the facade of a happy daughter returning for christmas? Or had they somehow found out that something was wrong? He didn't doubt that it was a hard decision for the girl to cut all ties to them, but apparently, she loved her parents and making them leave the country and make them forget about her existence was the only way to know them safe.

"Hello Severus," the little witch greeted him, while she waited patiently for him on her bed. They had agreed that it would be safest for him to come there directly and as he knew the room pretty well from her mind, there wasn't anything that spoke against it.

"Hello Hermione," he greeted her back with a solemn expression. It was strange. Severus was almost glad to see the girl again. It felt like he had missed her or something but considering the circumstances she probably didn't feel the same. After all, he was here to take her parents from her. "Are you ready for… did you gather everything from the house you need?"

She nodded with her lips tightly pressed together. "I gathered some hairs from each of them, as you told me. I put them into a vial and cast a stasis charm on it. As to my personal belongings...there wasn't much that wasn't already at Hogwarts. I took all the pictures and some other things that could hint towards my existence. I want to keep them in case we can reverse all this one day."

"I understand," he replied and gazed at her. "It's a goal worth fighting for, isn't it? When everything seems lost and you're about to give up, then keep holding to that thought. You want to give those things back to your parents, right? Then you need to fight for it, do you hear me?"

When she nodded Severus could see the tears in her eyes. But he didn't comment, as he expected many more of them in the next hours. It would be hard for her, as she seemed to love her parents from the bottom of her heart, but Hermione was a strong girl and so Severus had no doubts that she'd pull through.

For a moment they just stared at each other, but finally, he straightened with a sigh and said. "Alright, I guess it's time. Do you want to come with me? Or would you rather wait in your room?" He should have known her answer. The girl was a Gryffindor after all.

"No, I'll come downstairs with you. Let me go first. I'll ask my parents to come to the kitchen with me and there I'll distract them. This way it should be easiest."

Easiest for him, Severus thought, but he didn't object. "Alright, I'll still disillusion myself to avoid bad surprises."

The girl nodded and without a word she rose from her bed. Then she moved slowly to her door and left the room without looking back at him. Her whole body was stiff and the tension was clearly visible in the way she moved. But her parents hopefully wouldn't think twice about it and think anything amiss.

Severus waited patiently for four minutes before he disillusioned himself. Then he slowly opened the door of Hermione's room and tiptoed down the stairs. As soon as he reached the hallway he could hear Hermione's voice from the kitchen.

"How do you like my idea? Mum? Dad?" she asked and looked at her parents with wide, excited eyes. Seeing her like that was almost surreal after he had witnessed her inner turmoil just minutes ago. Now nothing of that was visible any longer and Severus had to admit, that the girl had taken his lessons on how to convincingly lie to heart.

"I don't know," her father said and weighed his head. "I guess we could allow him to stay for a while if his uncle and aunt give their permission."

What the hell were they even talking about? Severus asked himself just as he raised his wand. Just as Hermione's mother started mouthing her agreeance, he cast the obliviation spell silently on her husband and seconds later he repeated it on her. It was over in under a minute and just as he finished the spell, Hermione leapt from her seat and dashed through the door behind him. He, too, turned around and strode into the hallway without looking back on Dan and Emma Granger, who would remain in their seats for some more minutes, staring into space, before they would snap out of their trance and remember nothing of the last 15 minutes. They would not even remember having had a daughter and instead, they would feel the sudden need to travel.

He and Hermione would have to be gone in a few minutes, but by the look of it, his young friend was ready to bolt from the house and leave her old life behind right away. Severus couldn't blame her. It must be an incredible pain seeing the persons you love simply forget you. Not that understood much of being loved anyway, as he was pretty sure his mother was the only person that ever did and she was dead a long time ago.

ssssssss

Hermione was back in her room in a matter of seconds. She couldn't have stayed in the kitchen for a moment longer, as looking into the empty eyes of her parents simply broke her heart. She had known what would happen of course, as she'd read everything about obliviation she could get her hands on, ever since Severus had told her, that it was the best option in her case. But Merlin, it was one thing knowing what would happen, but it was quite another one seeing it happen to the people she loved the most.

Back in her room, she gathered her luggage with a flick of her wand. Hermione had packed her microscope and all the other scientific equipment, but also her computer and everything else that was dear to her. She didn't know if she'd ever get a chance to use the stuff again, but she would still not leave it behind. Hopefully, this war was over one day and then she'd finally have time for her hobbies again, no matter if it was in a year or in ten.

"Are you ready to leave?" Severus asked as he entered her room just moments after. He looked around with a critical expression on his face and without uttering another word he lifted his wand and transfigured the room. It was only a minute until nothing pointed towards the fact, that this was minutes ago a girl's bedroom because now it looked like a plain, unused guestroom to her. Hermione looked around and seeing her room like that finally forced the tears into her eyes. Now it was really like she had never existed.

She nodded with a sniff. "Thank you, Severus. I'll just go downstairs and take the Knight Bus to Grimmauld Place. That's where the Weasleys are."

He looked at her with a sad expression. "No, Hermione. First, you're coming to my place for a bit and then you'll have tea and a good cry on my sofa, or a firewhiskey if that's what you need. Can't let you go to the Weasleys in that kind of condition. You're not that a good actor."

Hermione shrugged and sniffed again. She really didn't care where she went, as long as she could leave this empty, foreign room behind. "Alright."

Severus nodded and took part of her luggage into his left hand. Then he offered her his right arm with a grim smile. "Hold on tight, Hermione. I'll apparate us both."

Hermione took his arm without hesitation and before she could mentally prepare herself for the second side-along apparation of her life, they were already gone.

When they landed just a moment later, Hermione could feel her knees buckle under her and it was only Severus' strong grip on her arm that held her upright. At least she did not feel like puking again, as that would have simply been embarrassing in front of her Potions Professor.

"Deep breaths, Hermione," he told her and she could feel him leading her to a plain, green sofa by the fireplace. There he sat her down and started rubbing her back in slow circles. His kindness was the last straw and Hermione could feel the dam inside her break before the first sob escaped her mouth. It followed another and another one and before Hermione knew it, the tears were streaming down her face. Severus had been right. She was in no condition to face the Weasleys now, not as long as she was unable to compose herself. And right now she couldn't.

"Do you need anything? A hanky? Tea?" Severus asked and Hermione could hear the nervousness in his voice. It probably wasn't every day that he had a female crying her eyes out on his sofa.

"Both," she hiccupped and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"Alright," he said and got up. He handed her the hanky right away before he went to the kitchen to make some tea. Hermione could hear him clatter with the dishes and somehow the domestic sound helped her calm down a bit. And so her sobs had morphed to silent sniffles when her teacher returned with two steaming mugs full of tea.

"I've added two drops of calming draught," he said casually and handed her the simple black mug with a totally neutral expression. "It will help you to get through the rest of the day and the horde of noisy Weasleys, without making you sleepy or drowsy."

"Thank you," Hermione said under sniffles and accepted the cup from him. "That's very thoughtful.

He sat down with a shrug. "That's what a friend does, right? They're supposed to dope you with potions when you're feeling down."

For a moment she stared at her mug in silence, before a snort erupted from her nose. Did he just make a joke to make her feel better? "Oh really? I guess than your friendship manual is a bit different from mine."

He smiled before he carefully sipped his tea. "Oh really? What's in yours then?"

Hermione cleaned her nose before she looked at him with a small smile on her lips. "There was something about giving lots of hugs and murmuring comforting words."

Her friend's lips twitched. "Must have been the girl-version then."

For a moment they just stared at each other in silence, before both of them snorted and erupted into giggles. There will still tears in Hermione's eyes, but she already felt better than she had minutes ago. Severus had his very own way of comforting her and even if it would never involve lots of hugging or long talks, Hermione didn't mind. Because right now he was the friend she needed, with or without hugs.

ssssssss

It was about an hour later when Severus dropped her two streets away from Grimmauld Place. She had agreed to him apparating her again and this time she had barely any problems to hold herself upright, after having reappeared again. Maybe it was due to the calming draught Severus had given her, or she was just slowly getting used to the feeling.

"I'll accompany you to the door," Severus said and handed her the luggage. "Don't worry, nobody but you will know I'm there."

She nodded and with a last thankful smile towards him she turned around and started moving. It wasn't far and so it was only about two minutes until she found herself using the silver doorknocker that had the form of a serpent biting his own tail. Hermione could have sworn that it curled itself around her fingers as she grabbed it.

It was only a moment until the door was opened and the smiling face of Molly Weasley came into view. The Weasley matriarch wore a brightly coloured apron over her simple clothes and she immediately pulled her into a strong motherly hug.

"Hermione! It's so nice of you to join us!"

Hermione smiled. She didn't even have to force herself to do it, as the older woman simply gave her the feeling of being home, no matter if they were actually at the burrow or in a dark, gloomy house like Grimmauld Place. Still, she was already grateful for the potion Severus had given her. Because Molly Weasley's motherly greeting would have probably been enough to reduce her to a sobbing teenage girl again. "Thank you for having me, Mrs Weasley. My parents were so excited about their skiing trip to Switzerland. They really need a little time for themselves, you know?"

The older woman nodded with her kind eyes full of understanding. "Of course. The boys will be thrilled to have you here. Come in."

Hermione nodded and followed her with a small smile. And really, just as she had passed the big staircase, Ginny, Ron and Harry swooped down the stairs and pulled her into a six-armed hug. "Hermione!" Ginny shouted happily before she let go of her. "I'm so glad there's finally another girl here. Can you imagine? We've all got our own rooms now. This place is huge, now that it's finally all cleaned out." She chatted happily and Harry and Ron only stood next to the female redhead and nodded. "Well, not Fred and George, but they prefer to be in each other' company all the time anyway."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, little sister," Fred's voice sounded from above and when she looked up, she could see the twin's faces peeking down at her with a matching smile on their lips. "But there's nothing to say against the presence of an intelligent and witty conversation partner, right Georgie?"

"Absolutely, Fred. I'm so glad you appreciate my qualities."

The other twin snorted. "I was actually describing myself, twin o' mine."

George rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh. "Of course you were. Well Hermione, if you are ever in need of a witty and intelligent conversation partner, our room is right next to yours."

They winked at her with a wide smile and somehow Hermione found herself smiling back.

ssssssss

Hermione's potion induced composure lasted until she closed the door of her room behind her in the evening. It was the picture of her suitcase that finally let her inner walls crumble and it was only a matter of seconds until the first sob escaped her mouth. The suitcase reminded her, that she no longer had a home, or parents she could come home to. She was alone now, couldn't even trust Harry or Ron any longer with her secrets, because Harry had somehow been "blessed" with a part of Voldemort's soul and Ron would never be able to keep a secret from his best friend. And so there was nobody she could share her burden with, except Severus. And he was not here, was rarely available anyway and even though she had come to like him, she would always feel kind of embarrassed, if she got overly emotional in his presence. Because emotions were a thing that Severus Snape did not do well. But god, how much did she yearn for a shoulder to cry on and for a pair of arms simply holding her.

Hermione didn't even bother changing into her pyjamas and just threw herself onto her huge queen-sized bed. The Blacks had without doubt been a wealthy family and so her room, which must have been a lady's room once, didn't miss any comfort she might have wanted. But right now Hermione didn't care as she simply wanted to lie in her new bed and cry for everything she had lost today and would lose in the following months.

"Hermione? Love, what's wrong?" a soft voice suddenly murmured into her ear, before she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. Somehow she must have forgotten to lock and silence the room and so there was suddenly a pair of worried redheads right next to her on her bed.

Gods, she didn't have the strength lying or even talking to them now and so she simply shook her head and buried her face into the pillow. But Fred and George didn't let her reaction discourage them and before she knew what happened, she was gently lifted into one of their laps, while another set of arms gently cradled her from behind.

"It's alright, love. Whatever it is, we're here huh? You can talk to us if you want." This was George, she knew him by his voice. He was the one behind her then.

Hermione answered by shaking her head again before another sob escaped her mouth. She was pretty sure that by now Fred's trousers would be covered in snot and tears, but somehow she couldn't find herself to care.

"No talking, huh? Must be bad then," Fred said and stroked her hair with his fingers. "Alright. Looks like you're in dire need of a Weasley-cuddle then." Before Hermione could process what he was saying, he carefully got up and lied down next to her on the bed. His brother did the same and so it was only seconds later that she was tightly sandwiched between her two favourite Weasleys. Fred spooned her from behind, whereas George was right in front of her and pulled her against his chest. There he held her tightly, while he rocked her in his arms and somehow this helped to soothe her nerves. Hermione didn't know how long they held her like this, but after a while, her sobs died down. When her tears finally stopped falling she realized, that George's shirt was totally soaked by now but her friend didn't even seem to notice. Instead, he had his face buried in her curls and mumbled something unintelligible into her hair.

"Thank you boys, I think I really needed that," Hermione admitted against George's chest. "I'm better now, thanks."

"Good," Fred said behind her, without letting go. "Do you want to talk about it now? We won't tell a soul, we swear."

She felt George nod into her hair. "Absolutely. And we won't judge, you know? Whatever it is, you can tell us."

Hermione wanted to, she really did. Because she felt like she had to talk about it, properly, at last once. And apart from Severus, who wasn't available at the moment, the twins really seemed to be her best option, they were her friends too, after all. Hermione sighed. She wouldn't be able to tell them the whole story, but at least a part of it. "Today I obliviated my parents to make them go abroad. They no longer remember having a daughter, but in a few days they'll leave the country and hopefully be safe."

"Fuck," George mumbled in front of her and pulled her even closer. "I'm so sorry, love. I can't even imagine how that must feel like."

She nodded with a heavy heart. "I keep asking myself if I did the right thing, you know? But with Lavender gone and after the attack against your dad… there's no saying what will happen next. But I thought with being Harry's best friend and a muggle-born at that there's quite a large target on my back."

"You did the right thing," Fred assured her from behind without hesitation. "Believe me. I know it was a hard decision, but I think you're right. This war will get much worse before it starts getting better again."

"Yeah," Hermione said sadly. "I know. But god I miss them and who knows if I'll ever see them again? I suddenly feel so alone, you know?"

"You're not though," George said and a moment later she could feel his hand on her chin. He used it to slowly tilt her head up so that their eyes finally met. "You're not alone Hermione. Fred and I will always be there for you, you hear me? No matter what…"

She nodded slowly, unable to break their eye contact and her mouth felt suddenly dry. "Alright, thank you," she mumbled and had the urge to hide against his chest again. But George didn't let go of her.

"That's what friends are for, love," Fred said from behind. "And we are your friends, remember?"

"Yeah," Hermione admitted before suddenly a yawn escaped her mouth. Merlin, all this crying had really worn her out. But it was probably a good thing, as it would prevent her lying awake and pondering over her fate for hours.

"Sounds like you're ready for bed, love," George said and rolled on his back. "Should we try to sleep?"

"You're staying?" she asked him with wide eyes and stared at him in disbelief.

" 'Course we're staying," Fred said from behind and with a whisk of his wand the lights in the room suddenly went out so that the three of them were surrounded by darkness. "Can't let you alone like this."

"But… we can't… I mean, you're…" Hermione mumbled, but Fred already conjured a big blanket for them and covered her with it.

"We're what?" George asked confusedly, but before she could answer he added. "Seriously, Hermione. No one will even notice we're here. And it's not like we're doing anything, yeah?"

"Just sleeping," Fred confirmed from behind her. "Well, and maybe a cuddle or two. We're here to comfort you, after all." Like to get his point across he put an arm around Hermione and turned her around towards him. Then he pulled her close so that her head suddenly rested on his shoulder. And god, it felt good.

"Alright," she said with a sigh and relaxed against him. "But I warn you, if you're snoring I'll throw you out."

"Sounds fair to me," George said casually, scooted closer and put an arm around her waist before he snuggled against her back. And Hermione couldn't help but note how perfect it felt to be held by them like that. With Fred and George surrounding her like this, she suddenly felt save again and definitely no longer alone.

In a dark corner of her mind, she wished, that it could always be like this. But she knew it couldn't and so she decided to just enjoy the night. As she slowly fell asleep on Fred's shoulder, with his scent in her nose, she decided to lock the memory of this night deep inside her heart and when the dark times would finally knock on her door, she'd use it to get her through them. Even if she could not have the twins for herself, she could at least have this.

Ssssssss

A.N.: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's not easy for me to write fluff, but I had the feeling we all needed that in these dark times. Well, I definitely did and Hermione did, too. I hope you are all well and safe and I could give you some distraction with this chapter. I really worked hard to publish it this soon.


	22. Chapter 22

A.N.: Hey guys, I couldn't help myself. I needed some more fluff and so this is what you're getting for the next chapter. But I hope you don't mind. ;-)

I hope you're all still healthy. To those who're isolated like me: I hope this chapter helps to entertain you for a little while. It's my greeting to all of you. We can do this, guys!

Chapter 22: Heart to heart

When Hermione awoke the next morning, she felt as well-rested as she hadn't felt in a long time. Ever since the discovery of Harry's connection to You-Know-Who her nights had been restless and full of worry and it only got worse since she discovered she was the Open Link herself. During the last days, when the knowledge of what would have to happen to her parents weighed on her conscience, she had barely slept at all and so it was no wonder that her body finally crashed and she slept for ten hours straight. But it wasn't until she felt somebody shift next to her in bed, that she realized this probably wasn't the only reason for her restful night. Because there were two more, very good and red-headed reasons in her bed, one of them currently spooning her from behind. She could feel his warm breath tickle her neck, as he exhaled in small puffs, which most likely meant that he was still asleep. But no matter how good it felt to be held like that, Hermione really needed the loo.

With a sigh, she started to wiggle downwards on the bed, because as she was surrounded by them from both sides, there was no other way for her to go. She didn't even manage 10 centimetres though before the arms around her tightened again and pulled her close with a sleepy grumble.

"Stay here, you're comfy," George mumbled from behind and a moment later she could feel his nose in her hair. " 'N you smell nice."

Hermione blinked in surprise. Did he really just say that? Well, he was probably still half asleep. But a moment later she realized that he probably wasn't, as one part of him was most definitely starting to wake up. And this part was currently pressed against her bum.

Hermione swallowed heavily. "George please, I need the loo," she murmured embarrassedly and tried to wiggle away. It seemed to take a moment for him to get her message, but finally, he let go of her with a sigh and turned to his back. This gave her some more centimetres of space which were enough for her to push herself out of bed on the foot end. "Thanks," Hermione whispered before she padded towards the door on socked feet. Right, yesterday evening she hadn't even bothered to change into her sleepwear but now this gave her the bonus of not having to change right away. Because she really didn't feel like going through her clothes, especially her underwear, with the twins in her room.

Hermione took her time in the bathroom, but when she hoped that the twins would be gone from her bed when she returned to her room, she was disappointed. Both of them were wide awake though and looked at her with a matching grin while lying on their backs.

"Morning, love," Fred greeted her with his arms crossed behind his head. "Guess we weren't snoring too much for your pretty ears then, as we're still here." He winked at her.

She shrugged. "To be honest with you: I have no idea. I was pretty much dead to the world."

Fred grinned. "Sounds good. Do you feel better now? Or do you need another cuddle?" He opened his arms in invitation, but Hermione just stared at him with pink cheeks.

"No, I'm good thanks," she said with an awkward smile. Merlin, if she allowed herself to rest in their arms again, then she would probably never let go of them again. Because just the thought of it made her heart start beating wildly in her chest.

"Alright," George said and stretched himself. Then he slipped his bare feet out of the bed and got up. Just now she realized that his red hair was totally tousled by sleep. He looked adorable and Hermione would have loved to just step in front of him and run her fingers through it. She'd probably make his bed-head worse but in her imagination, that willingly supplied her with the fitting images, George didn't care. But real George flicked his wand and his chequered pyjamas transformed into jeans and a green sweater, while his hair straightened itself. "We'll be going then," he said and looked at her with a sunny smile. "Fred? You coming?"

"Right behind you, twin 'o mine," Fred said and swung himself out of Hermione's bed. But instead of transfiguring his clothes, he stepped next to Hermione, put a hand on her shoulder and said: "Let us know if you want us to stay with you in the evening again. We're right next doors, if you need us, alright?" His brown eyes sought out hers and when she didn't immediately reply, he leaned down and touched her forehead with his. "No false shyness or anything equally stupid. We're here for you, you hear me?"

She nodded awkwardly. "Alright, thank you. I'll let you know if I need a Weasley-cuddle again."

"Perfect," he said and after another moment he finally let go of her. When he and George left her room some moments later, she could still feel his touch on her forehead and she could swear that their scent still lingered in the room. Her heart definitely didn't feel like it would calm down anytime soon. But Hermione didn't care, because her feelings right now were worlds better than the heavy sadness she had felt mere hours ago.

ssssssss

"I loved holding her," George confessed towards his brother an hour later. Both of them had used the first chance to retreat to their favourite place, the roof garden, right after breakfast.

"Me, too," Fred admitted with a dark chuckle. "And I want to do it again. Merlin, does it make me a bad person to hope, that she'll need us again?"

George didn't answer and just stared into the distance. "I can't believe she obliviated her parents. Merlin, she's the bravest girl I know."

"And she smells like coconut," Fred said with a dreamy sigh.

They were interrupted by a snort from behind and when Fred and George hastily turned around they could see Sirius standing in the door with a wide grin on his face. "Coconut, huh?" he said and stalked closer. "Where have the two of you been last night?"

George looked at him with a neutral expression. "In bed, obviously."

But the black-haired man only snorted in amusement. "That much is obvious. The question is whose bed?"

Fred's mouth twitched. Nosy bastard. Didn't the man have anywhere else to be? Well, there probably wasn't that much excitement in Sirius Black's life at the moment and even though Grimmauld Place was a big house it must get small after spending months of time locked inside. "None of your business, mate. We're gentlemen which means our lips are sealed."

Sirius Black snorted. "Unfortunately for you I have a very good nose. But as I know for a fact that the two of you haven't left the house and next to your sister there's only one other woman your age around…" He looked at them with raised eyebrows.

George groaned inwardly. This really wasn't how he imagined his morning when he came up here with his brother. But apparently, they were in for the next inquisition. "What are you implying, Sirius?"

The man's lips twitched. "Nothing."

Fred nodded. "Good. Because we didn't do anything."

"But you wish you had," Sirius said with a knowing grin. "Don't look at me like that. It's quite obvious looking at the two of you."

George stared back at him in shock, but much to his dismay he didn't find the words for denying his feelings. Because Sirius was right. He looked at him with a sigh.

" 'S not like we could act on it. We both want her, which leaves us with quite a complicated situation," Fred said in his stead and turned around to look into the distance again. George followed his example and only a moment later their host stepped between them and did the same.

"Don't feel like sharing the girl then?" he asked casually without looking at them. But his words were enough that the twin's heads turned towards him almost immediately, while they gaped at him with an open mouth. The man snorted. "What? You think I haven't done that, sharing a girl? I've done and seen it all guys and as long as it's with a person you like and respect there's nothing against it."

"Seriously?" Fred asked in disbelief. "But… is that even legal?"

Sirius studied them with an inclined head. "Are we talking about a one-time-thing or something more serious?" he asked and looked at them with raised brows.

Fred and George looked at each other for a moment, before George said: "If you're implying that we're just looking for a quick shag, then it's not just a one-time-thing."

"Nope," Fred added with a nod. "I'd shag this girl as often as she'd let me."

Sirius looked at them with a knowing grin. "Ah. So we're talking more down the line of your uncles Fabian and Gideon then. They shared a girlfriend as far as I know."

"They did?" both redheads asked in unison and looked at the man in front of them in disbelief.

"Yeah. I think her name was Jenny or Jenna or something like that. Beautiful, blonde bird with large… legs," Sirius said and grinned. "Your mum never told you about her? They were quite close, I think."

George sighed. "Obviously, there're a lot of things mum didn't tell us about. She doesn't talk about her brothers, at all. Which is quite a pity, as they seem to have led an interesting life."

Their host grinned. "Well, I can't tell you much about them, as we weren't close at the time, but there're lots of interesting books in the Black Library. I didn't read many of them, as I prefer a more practical approach, but somewhere there's definitely one about magical twin bonds and another one on bonding rituals in general. Maybe you should take a look."

"Can't hurt," Fred replied with a shrug. "Even though the theoretical possibility still might not help us very much. Because let's be honest: if we suggested it t her, she might simply take us for a bunch of perverts or something."

Sirius snorted. "Who knows? The girl might actually surprise you. She's a tough one that much I can tell."

George nodded in agreement. Yeah, Hermione was tough, much tougher than even Sirius might have realized.

sssssss

Except for mealtimes George didn't see much of Hermione that day. It wasn't that he was directly looking for her, but when he entered one of the many rooms of Sirius Black's house he always hoped to find her. But he never did. It was like the girl was invisible or something, or could disillusion herself. Smart as Hermione was, she probably could, even though the spell was unfortunately not taught at school.

"Do you think she'll need us tonight?" George whispered to his brother when they made their way upstairs after dinner. Usually, they stayed with their family a bit longer, but as they hoped to see a certain witch again soon, they excused themselves and trotted to their shared room.

"Dunno. She looked fine enough during mealtimes, but so she did yesterday. And considering the girl just lost her parents…" Fred frowned. "I think she needs us, no matter if she seeks out our help or not. Sometimes the girl can be as stubborn as hell."

George sighed. "True. But I kind of like that about her, that and her hair."

"So? What do we do if she doesn't ask us for help after she went to her room?" Fred asked, didn't wait for his brother's answer though. "I say we check on her anyway. If she's fine we can still leave, right?"

"Absolutely. But I hope we won't have to. Because I definitely want to hold her again. Does that make me a bad person, Freddy?"

His brother grinned. "No, just a bed-person. And that's not a bad thing at all."

ssssssss

Hermione spent as much time with Harry, the Weasleys and Sirius as possible. She dreaded going back to her room, as it would mean being surrounded by silence again. And that would be the point, when reality caught up with her again, which she wanted to postpone as long as possible. Still, it was like somebody was watching her. Her neck had started to constantly prickle over the day and it was worst when she was surrounded by the others in the evening. Harry and Ron chatted almost nonstop over some sort of Quidditch strategies which was probably due to the fact that Harry would be allowed to resume his position as Quidditch seeker soon. It wasn't them, Hermione thought, but somebody was watching her. She just didn't know who and why.

"I'm going to bed," she finally announced when she couldn't bear the feeling any longer. When she looked at the others all of them just nodded in understanding or wished her good night, but when she looked at Sirius it was like there was a strange flicker in his eyes that she couldn't place. But then the man winked at her and she nodded towards him with an awkward smile, before she left the room. She really needed to stop being this paranoid. He was probably just happy to have some company over the holidays. Or did he know something? No, she had only told the twins what happened to her parents and she trusted them not to tell her secret. So she was probably just seeing ghosts.

Should she go to the twins and ask them to spend the night with her again? They had offered her some cuddles after all. But should she accept them if she was trying to get over her crush on them? Not that she did a very good job with that anyway. After last night she realized, that she wanted them just as much as she had before.

Hermione sighed. She really shouldn't call on them tonight. It would make getting over them so much harder in the future.

With another sigh, she changed into her pyjamas. But just as she was about to turn off the lights, there was a soft knock at her door.

"Come in," she said and a moment later two freckled, smiling redheads tiptoed into her room. Both of them were already in their pyjamas too and looked at her with wide eyes and a wide Weasley-twin-grin.

"Thought we'd check on you," Fred explained and stepped closer. "Just in case you were uncomfortable knocking on our room or something."

She nodded with a thankful smile. "That's very thoughtful of you."

Both of them smiled.

"So?" George finally asked and looked at her with a small smile. "Need a Weasley-cuddle again?"

Hermione sighed. She really shouldn't, today she was feeling better after all. But god, she wanted to be held by them again. "I errr…. Alright," she finally said and both of them looked at her with a wide happy grin.

"Brilliant!" George said and stepped to her bed. There he transfigured her blanket into a huge, fluffy one and held it up for her. "After you," he said with a grin. And Hermione looked at him with a happy smile. She really shouldn't get used to their company too much, she told herself as she slipped below the covers. But then George crawled into bed right after her and pulled her into his arms like it was the most natural thing on earth.

"That Okay?" he asked silently and looked down at her with large, kind eyes.

"Yeah," Hermione admitted with a happy sigh and leaned her head against his chest. That was when she felt the mattress dip, as Fred crawled into bed behind her. It was only a moment before his arms closed around her from behind and he leaned against her. And it felt glorious. " 's nice," she mumbled just as she saw the lights darken in the room. It was right in time, as she felt her cheeks heat up again.

"Good, because we intend to come here every night until we have to go back to the castle," George murmured into her hair. "We want to help you through this Hermione, even if it is just through giving you some comfort while falling asleep. Will you let us do this for you?"

God, yes, she thought before her doubts had time to resurface again. Just this once she wanted to enjoy her life again, consequences be damned. Because who knew how many happy nights and days there were left for any of them. "Alright, yeah," she finally said and immediately she felt two sets of arms tighten around her. And she could have sworn that she felt George smile into her hair, but that was probably just her overactive imagination.


	23. Chapter 23

A.N.: Hello my lovely readers. Here's another chapter for you. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on this story. It means the world to me.

Chapter 23: Disappointing you

Winter holidays were the best ones in their life, Fred and George decided, even though Hermione probably saw that differently with her parents gone. Their father had survived being attacked by Voldemort's snake and would make a full recovery. And on top of that, they had been able to hold Hermione in their arms for five blissful nights. Five nights of cuddling, secretly smelling her hair and daydreaming about how it would be if they could both have her.

But now it was time to go back to Hogwarts and even though Fred and George usually did not mind going to school, they didn't feel like going back at all this time. Not only that Umbridge and her Educational Decrees waited for them, but also there were the NEWT exams on the horizon. This meant that they wouldn't have much time developing more joke products and no chance to spend time with Hermione or even hold her again. And both were things they desperately wanted to do. But first, they'd read through the books Sirius had lent them, because if they were lucky then there really was a way for both of them to have her. If Sirius was to be believed, their uncles had done it and they hadn't been shed by society. And that fact gave Fred and George hope that there was a solution for their mutual crush on Hermione.

"Lavender is back!" Parvati's voice pulled them out of their thoughts. They had just entered the common room after arriving from the train station but when their heads snapped up, they could see that a large group of students had gathered in front of a lost-looking Lavender Brown. The girl interestingly didn't seem to enjoy this sudden attention at all, which definitely was a new thing.

"No, I don't know what happened to me," she answered somebody's question in a desperate voice. "And I don't know anything about being the Open Link. What's that supposed to be anyway?"

The group of people looked at her with a gasp. But Fred pulled George to a sofa in the back of the room, while he followed the conversation with half an ear. Then he murmured to his brother: "I bet she's been obliviated, by whoever had her, which can only mean that she's not the Open Link."

George nodded. "Yeah. But I mean, we're pretty sure who had her, right? So if she's not the Open Link, why's she still alive? Not that I'm complaining, Merlin no, but it just doesn't seem like his style."

"Not really, no," Fred said with a thoughtful expression. "On the other hand she's a Pureblood and he probably doesn't want to step onto their toes. And… think about it, Georgie. If she's not the Open Link, then somebody else is. What would happen, if he had just killed her and then captured the real Open Link? What do you think how good his chances would have been to convince this other person to work with him?"

His brother hummed thoughtfully. "Good point, Freddie. Whoever it is, does know Lavender, maybe not as a friend but from seeing her in the hallways."

"Yeah," Fred said. "The question is if she's not the Open Link, who is it? Dumbledore will be keen on finding him or her now, as he has seen what happens if somebody else finds the Link first."

"Which leaves us with quite an urgent task," George concluded and got up. "Let's go to our dorm, Freddie. You still got the book where you noted all the bets, right? Let's go through it again and note everything important, we can learn from it."

"Good idea brother," Fred replied and was on his feet a moment later. "Whoever it is, Georgie, we need to save him or her. And that means not only protecting him from You-Know-Who but from our dear High-Inquisitor, too. Because the woman is almost as bad, even if she tries to hide it behind pink bows and huge smiles."

George shuddered. "Yeah, but I somehow get the feeling that she'll show her true nature pretty soon. I wouldn't be surprised if there will be some new Educational Decrees by tomorrow."

"Wanna make a bet how long it will take her to make an Educational Decree that explicitly forbids using our products?" Fred said with a wide grin when they walked up the stairs to their dorm. "People would probably want to have them anyway. Could even be good marketing."

George grinned. "I say two weeks."

"Then I'll say ten days," his brother answered with a smug smile. "But we'll have to start selling them, soon. What about tomorrow? Let's just finish going through my book tonight and talk to Dumbledore first thing in the morning. And afterwards, we'll reward ourselves by selling some of our stuff. How does that sound, Georgie?"

His twin clapped him onto his back with a wide smile. "Sounds brilliant Freddy, absolutely brilliant!" Their upcoming NEWTs were promptly forgotten. There were more important things for them to do, after all.

ssssssss

So Lavender was back, Hermione thought when she slowly walked down the corridor after her last lesson on Monday. It had been Emotional and Attachment Education with Professor Umbridge, but somehow the last hours didn't feel like a lesson at all, more like some kind of Inquisition. It was obvious that their High Inquisitor had drawn the conclusion that Lavender Brown was not the Open Link, which only left her more determined to find the wanted person once and for all. But of course, nobody knew anything, well nobody but her and she kept her mouth shut. Which led to a very frustrated and more and more bad-tempered Professor Umbridge. At the end of the lesson, Lavender had cryingly left the room and Parvati had stormed out right after her, in the hope to console her friend. Hermione knew that this was only the beginning and suddenly she was glad for her Occlumency lessons with Severus because they didn't only help her to hide her memories, but also to get her feelings under control. Now that everybody was looking for the Open Link again, she couldn't make any mistakes and so she tried being her usual, over-enthusiastic self. And at least Ron and Harry seemed to be buying it.

"Merlin, Umbridge can be really scary," Ron mumbled and rubbed his head. "It's not Lavender's fault, that she can't remember anything. Seems like she was obliviated or something."

"Yeah," Hermione agreed with a sigh. "Which means that Umbridge won't get any answers from her. What do you think how long it will take her to realize that? Because then she'll try to get answers from the other students…"

Harry groaned. "Merlin, I really don't want to be in the centre of this woman's attention. I swear, the toad hates me! And I don't want to know what she'll try to get her answers from us. Not that we had any, to begin with."

"Yeah," Ron said with a snort. "Because obviously, my prediction that it was Lavender was wrong. Do you think I'll have to pay back Fred and George now?"

Hermione shrugged. "It's not like you could pay them back, anyway. Or do you have any money left?"

"Not really, no," her friend replied with a shake of his head.

"Well, then they'll just have to give up this nonsense of taking on bets, right? And I mean, who says that the next person claiming to be the Open Link is correct this time? Or if Professor Trelawney makes another prediction?" Hermione couldn't hide the amusement in her voice when she said this and by the snorts of her friends, she could tell, that Ron and Harry felt the same. But before any of them could say anything in return, they had reached the Gryffindor Common room. There their attention was immediately pulled to the two redheaded pranksters that stood in the centre surrounded by a big crowd of students.

"Feaver Fudge? What's that for?" a little third-year asked and looked at Fred with wide, excited eyes.

The redhead snorted: "Gives you a fever, obviously. Enough to get you out of class and when you're back to the common room, you take one of those," Fred announced and held up a small green toffee. "It's the antidote. Just take it and you're right as rain."

"Brilliant!" Ron exclaimed and worked his way to the front of the crowd. Harry followed him slowly, but Hermione remained at the back of the crowd and watched the twin's marketing show with growing anger. Because as soon as her eyes fell on the Nosebleed Nougat she knew exactly that this was, what they had taken when she helped them to get to the Infirmary a few weeks ago. They had tricked her, had even convinced her to skip class with them. But even worse: she had been worried about them, worried over nothing! Why had she been stupid enough to believe them? Merlin, she really was an idiot!

"Fred, George! Give me some of the Nosebleed Nougat, will you? I'll use it to get out of Binn's class tomorrow," Ron announced when he finally reached the front of the queue.

Fred looked at him with a grin. "Sure, little brother. This will be 2 Sickles, then."

Ron looked at his brothers with a crooked grin. "Can't I have one for free? I'm short on money you know? And I'm your brother after all…"

"And we're trying to start a business, little brother. So no free samples for you, I fear," George said and patted his brother's shoulder. "Sorry, Ronnekins." Ron looked at them with a scowl, turned around and marched back to Hermione.

"I can't believe it! I'm their brother!" he complained and looked back at his brothers that eagerly pocketed their newly earned money with matching grins on their faces. And Hermione didn't really feel like defending them in front of Ron right now. In fact, she didn't feel like talking about Fred and George at all - or to them.

"I'll be in my room," she replied with a shake of her head. "It's impossible to do my homework here, as long as your brothers use the Common Room as their joke shop. And I really need to finish this essay for Professor Snape."

Her friend groaned. "Don't remind me. I was kind of hoping we could do this one together. You could come to our dorm and we could do it on my bed. What do you say?"

Hermione wanted to say no because she was three times faster without having to help him. But Ron was her friend and so saying no was not really an option. She sighed. "Alright. Let's go then."

Ron looked at her with a wide grin. "Yeah. Because you don't look like you'd want to buy something from them." He motioned with his head towards his brothers.

She shook her head with a snort. "No, skipping class isn't really for me, I guess."

Ron nodded with a smile and said: "I guess not, but considering the fact that I'd be lost without you and your notes that's a good thing."

ssssssss

Severus knew he was fucked as soon as he felt the Dark Mark on his arm burn. After the return of Lavender Brown to the castle, he had known that the Dark Lord would call him sooner or later, but he'd rather hoped for later. But it wasn't to be.

With a sigh, he donned his heavy Death Eater robe and grabbed the mask that he had hidden away in his wardrobe. It only took him a minute, until he was on his way through the castle towards the Hogwarts gates. The longer he waited the angrier and more impatient the Dark Lord would get. And Severus guessed he was both already, to begin with. Luckily Severus didn't meet anybody on his way to the Apparation point and so it was only a matter of a few minutes until he landed on the cold, dark marble floor of a house that was not Malfoy Manor. And Severus realized that he didn't have an idea where he was at all. By the size of the room he was currently in, the house was huge. There were large windows along the wall to his right side, that were made from glass of different colours. Severus could imagine that they would paint the room in beautiful colours when the sun was shining outside, but as it was dark right now they only reflected the hundreds of candles, that some poor house-elf must have lighted around Lord Voldemort.

"Ah Severusssss," his Master's voice greeted and even though it sounded almost happy to see him, he knew that it was only a bluff. "I am glad you decided to follow my invitation."

He wanted to snort. As if he ever had the choice to not follow his master's call. He would have been a dead man if he had decided to do so. Well, he probably still was, if the feeling in his gut was anything to go by.

"My Lord," he replied and kneeled down with a bowed head. "It is my pleasure to serve, My Lord."

"So you say," the man in front of him replied and suddenly Severus could detect a strange undertone in it. "And still you haven't given me any useful information at all, those last days. Why is that, Severus?"

"My Lord? As you have somehow gotten hold of the Brown-girl, I had hoped that you had finally secured the Open Link. But as My Lord didn't call me, I decided to wait for further instructions, as I surmised you wished to persuade the girl alone," Severus tried to explain, but he already knew that it was for nought. The Dark Lord was angry and he was looking for somebody to punish, somebody to vent his anger on. And today this somebody was him.

"But this girl was a fraud," his Master hissed and Severus could feel his cold eyes studying him, "which you must know, as I had the grace to send her back."

"My Lord was very generous," Severus replied and waited. He didn't have to wait long.

"So I was told. But I am tired of being disappointed, Severus. So tell me, what news do you have on the Open Link?"

Severus closed his eyes to gather his strength. Because he knew what was coming after he had given his answer: "I have ruled out a majority of the students, my Lord. But there are still about 15 that I am not sure about."

"15 you say?" Lord Voldemort said and his voice got more and more agitated. "That is not enough, Severus! There needs to be a way to narrow it down further. You disappoint me. You have to try harder, much harder. But it appears you need a bit of convincing to do your very best. So you will learn what it means to disappoint the Dark Lord…"

Severus didn't reply, as it wouldn't have changed anything. Instead,, he balled his hands and shut his mouth tightly, in the hope to not bite his tongue again. One of his fellow comrades had once managed to almost bite it off under torture and that had been a messy thing to heal.

"Crucio!"

He heard the hissed words, before the curse connected with his chest a moment later. For a few seconds he managed to remain to kneel upright, but then his body sagged to the side and started convulsing. He could only hope that his Master indeed decided to let him live a bit longer because there was still so much he wanted to teach Hermione – his friend. Severus had never expected to find a friend again after Lilly but somehow he had. And now that his whole body was burning with pain, his mind went out to her and clung to the memory of Hermione's smile and the feeling of her arms around his body, when she pulled him into a hug. And somehow it made the pain a little more bearable for him.

ssssssss

Hermione knew that something was wrong. She had just started to ready herself for bed when she was suddenly packed by a strange feeling of uneasiness and worry. Without knowing the reason for it, she suddenly felt restless, needed, but that didn't make sense. Who would need her at this time of the day and why would she suddenly be able to feel it?

But then the puzzle pieces clicked together, when she remembered that there was indeed a person, she had a special connection to. Severus, she realized, was connected to her through the link and suddenly she knew that it was him, who needed her. Merlin, what had happened to him that she felt this nagging restlessness and alarm through the bond? Had he been called to You-Know-Who? Probably. Because who else would try to hurt her friend?

But what could she even do? She couldn't call for help, as he probably wasn't even at the castle right now. If she went to the Headmaster she would have to admit how she knew that Severus was in trouble, to begin with. And that was something she couldn't do if she wanted to keep her secret.

The uneasy feeling in her stomach got worse and before she realized what she was doing, she threw on her robe again and stormed out of the room.

"I forgot something downstairs," she hastily explained to her dorm mates, before she closed the door behind her. Severus needed her and so she would be there for him, as soon as he arrived. And until then she could only pray and try to send him strength and energy through their Link.

"Keep him save," she begged her magic as she flew down the stairs to the Common Room. It was still packed with people, but they were all too busy to realize that she climbed through the portrait hole after curfew. At least that was what Hermione told herself because there were two sets of brown eyes that followed her with a curious expression. Only a moment later their redheaded owners leapt to their feet with an excited grin on their faces. And with a nod to each other, they followed her silently into the corridors.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Being there for you

Fred was beyond curious. What was Hermione doing out in the corridors at night? Not that he had something against it, Merlin no! He always found his and George's nightly strolls through the castle very refreshing. But it just wasn't Hermione's style. The girl wasn't only a Prefect, she was a stickler for rules, at least when Harry and Ron were not there to drag her with them into the trouble. And they were nowhere to be seen.

No, there was only Hermione in front of them in the corridors and she seemed to be in quite a hurry as her robe billowed while she strode off with quick steps.

"We'll need to hurry, if we don't want to lose her," George urged him and Fred agreed. Then their long legs fell into step, as they hastily started to follow their witch. But Hermione suddenly disappeared behind a corner and when Fred and his brother finally reached it and attempted to follow her, the little witch was gone, which was impossible. Ahead of them was only a long, straight corridor and there was nothing there where someone could hide behind, not even a small person like Hermione Granger.

"Where is she?" Fred whispered to his brother and looked around. "There's no way she's already down the stairs."

"No." George agreed. "She's not an athlete. Even we wouldn't have been able to get there this fast. So, where is she?"

"Well, there are only two possibilities," Fred said with a grin. "Either the girl has suddenly gone invisible or there's a secret passage that we don't know about."

George looked at him with excited eyes. "You think there's another one?"

The other redhead shrugged. "I'm sure there're plenty we do not know about. So why not here? Care to find out, Georgie?"

"Absolutely. There's nothing more exciting than a mystery, after all."

ssssssss

Hermione flew through the corridors with hasty steps. For a while, she was sure that she had been followed, but she hadn't dared to turn around and check. And so she just cast a quick disillusionment spell, after she turned around the next corner and continued to walk as silently as possible. Because no matter how strong her urge was to press herself against the next wall and wait, her urge to help Severus was stronger. Her friend needed her and whatever happened to him, grew worse every second. By now she didn't only feel uneasiness through the bond, she felt positively sick and her limbs started to ache. And she felt more and more tired like her magic was slowly draining away, which it probably was. That could only mean one thing: Severus needed it, he needed her magic. And that was a bad sign.

Like in trance her feet carried her out of the main gates, towards the Hogwarts apparation point. If Severus was outside of the castle, which he most likely was, then he would come back here. If he ever came back. He had to, Hermione told herself, because the mere thought that he might not, let her heartbeat speed up in a panic.

When she finally arrived at her destination, she looked around. But Severus was not here. There were only the wide grassland and the dark trees of the forest around her and in her back, there was the dark silhouette of Hogwarts. With its lightened windows it was a breath-taking sight but today Hermione could not enjoy it. All her emotions were clouded by worry for her friend and so she hastily turned back to the apparation point, cast a quick warming charm on her disillusioned body and waited.

The minutes trickled by but it couldn't have been too long until the heard two cracks of apparation and two masked and cloaked figures appeared 300 metres in front of her in the grass. One of them was barely able to stand straight and so the other one had to more or less keep him upright.

The two of them stood there for a long moment, until the second person suddenly stepped away, nodded and apparated away. It was only a moment after when the other one stumbled and fell into the grass. Hermione gasped in shock. She knew without a doubt, that the wounded Death Eater in the grass was Severus, she could feel it was him. And he needed help.

"Severus!" she said loudly and after cancelling the disillusionment spell she stepped closer and kneeled down next to him. "Merlin, what has he done to you?"

Severus was lying at his side and even though his face was still covered by the unsettling Death Eater mask his black hair was fanned out on the ground. He groaned in pain. "Crucio," he croaked out and Hermione saw, that he tried getting up but only moving his arms wrung another pained moan from his lips.

"Don't move," Hermione hastily instructed him and scrambled to her feet. "I'll levitate you to your chambers. Don't worry, I'll disillusion you and myself. Nobody will see. Just, try not to pass out. I'll need the password to get in."

He grunted something unintelligible as an answer and Hermione just assumed from his tone, that he agreed. And so she simply cast the necessary charms and started moving, because she had the unmistakable feeling that there was no time to lose. With determined steps, she walked back to the castle while she carefully levitated her friend next to her. Luckily no one stumbled across their way and so it was only a matter of some minutes until she closed the door to Severus' quarters behind them.

"I'll levitate you to the sofa," she said matter of factly, but when she looked at the now visible form of her friend she saw him shake his head.

"No, bed," he croaked and motioned his head towards a dark brown door to his left, that Hermione had so far ignored. For a moment she stared at it with wide eyes, before she caught herself again and nodded.

"Alright, to your bed then," she agreed and moved him carefully through the door. Severus' bedroom wasn't at all what she had expected. In stark contrast to the rest of his quarters, it was held in light tones, and even though the walls were the typical dark Hogwarts-stone-walls, they were covered with numerous landscape paintings. But Hermione forced herself to ignore them for now and moved Severus to the huge bed in front of her. It was covered with dark blue blankets and when Hermione carefully pulled them aside to make room for Severus, she was surprised how warm and soft they were.

"There you go," Hermione said after she had carefully positioned him on the bed. Only then she allowed herself the time to properly look at him. He was white as a sheet and his eyes were blood-shot but apart from the sweaty look of his skin and the tortured look in his eyes there were no actual signs of injury. Hermione didn't know if this as a good or a bad thing. She gnawed on her bottom lip. "Alright Severus, tell me what to do. Do you need me to get Madame Pomphrey? Or some potions? Please, Severus, I want to help!"

He looked at her with pain clouded eyes. "Blue potions… bathroom… cupboard behind the mirror…," he croaked before he closed his eyes with a sigh. Hermione sprang into action right away and after some problems finding the right door to the bathroom, she dashed back with two of the ordered vials. She uncorked the first one with shaking hands and held it to his lips. Her friend gulped it down eagerly, without opening his eyes. Hermione held her breath and waited.

"Give me another one," Severus slurred and looked at her with small eyes. "It will probably knock me out, but don't worry," he said and the fact that he could talk full sentences again gave her hope.

"Alright," she agreed, opened the other vial more calmly and held it against his lips. He swallowed the content down with a last thankful look at her before his eyes closed with a soft sigh from his lips. And suddenly he looked peaceful and definitely no longer awake.

Hermione looked at him with a tired sigh. It must be almost midnight now and it would have been the most logical thing for her, to finally go back to her dorm. But the idea of having to leave her friend alone didn't only make her feel uneasy but positively sick. Was that the bond? Or would she have felt the same if it was Ron or Harry in his stead? Probably. She'd never have left them alone. Which meant she was staying at his side. Severus would probably scold her for this because she had most definitely classes in the morning. But for once in her life, Hermione didn't care, because there were more important things in life than school.

ssssssss

After almost two hours of fruitless searching, Fred and George had to accept that there was most likely no secret passage. This lead to the conclusion that Hermione had disappeared by some other method, which only fascinated them more.

"We knew she is a smart witch," George murmured as they finally climbed through the portrait hole together. The Common Room that lied behind it was totally empty by now.

"Yeah, which means that she probably disillusioned herself. Do you think she'd be willing to teach us that spell?" Fred asked in a hopeful voice while they walked towards the stairs, that led to the boy's dorms.

His brother shrugged. "Maybe. We didn't have much of a chance to talk to her now that we're back to the castle. We could ask her when we see her next time."

Fred nodded eagerly. "Would be a good excuse to spend some more time with her. Let's ask her tomorrow. She'll probably have a lie-in though, as she's still not back. Or do you think she sneaked past us and we didn't notice?"

"Who knows?" George replied with a grin. "The girl seems to have a lot of secrets. I mean, we seem to be the only ones she told about her parents. I wouldn't be surprised if that's not the only thing she's hiding. Where do you think did she go?"

Fred grinned. "Dunno. But I can't wait to find out, because I've got the feeling that it wasn't just the library."

sssssssss

I was hours later when Severus awoke from his potion-induced slumber and even though he could still feel his limbs and head aching, he felt almost content, which was strange when one considered that he had almost died yesterday. Severus was pretty sure that the only thing that saved him from biting the dust was his bond to Hermione because he had clearly felt the magic pulsing through his veins as things had started to get out of hand. Even though his master had originally just planned to punish him, the man had bottled up too much anger inside of him and once he had started to punish Severus, he hadn't been able to stop himself. Luckily Lucius had waited somewhere hidden in the background and he had reminded the Dark Lord, that they probably still needed their spy at Hogwarts. But at that point, Severus would have been long dead or at least no longer sane, if there hadn't been the fact that Hermione Granger had agreed to form a connection to him. He was such a lucky bastard.

When he opened his eyes and blinked the blurriness of sleep away he realized that the girl was still there. He remembered her waiting for him and levitating him into his chambers. Of course, she had felt that he was in danger, as he had felt her magic after all and so it was only natural, that his friend came looking for him. Still, the realization that somebody cared enough for him to not only bring him back into the safety of the castle and give him the right potions but to remain at his side all night long made him feel slightly mushy and somehow… happy. The girl really cared about him, not because he was of value for her like he was for Dumbledore. No Severus realized that he must really mean something to her and that made him like the brave little Gryffindor witch even more. Yes, he liked her, he realized, when he looked down on her sleeping form in the chair next to his bed. Her body had sagged forward in sleep so that her head was now bedded on her arms on his mattress and he was pretty sure she'd have an aching back when she woke up in the morning. And waking her to send her back to her room in the middle of the night just felt wrong.

Well, then there was only one way to go, he realized and with a smile he found, that he was still in his clothes from the day before. Thank god the girl hadn't felt the need to change his unconscious body into pyjamas or something equally embarrassing.

His wand was still in its holder that was hidden under his right sleeve. It only took him a moment, to transfigure her chair into a comfortable bed for her and levitate her sleeping body onto the soft mattress. As soon as her head hit the soft pillow, her mouth made a soft, content sigh and a little smile formed on her lips. It gave Severus the feeling that he had done the right thing, even though it meant that he'd sleep side to side with the girl for the rest of the night. Luckily she was Hermione Granger and so there wasn't the danger of her seeing that as something it was not, otherwise, the knowledge of having a teenage girl in his bedroom would have made him more than uncomfortable. But as things were he had no problems closing his eyes again and the knowledge that there was someone at his side who cared for him, made him immediately relax. And so it wasn't a surprise when he fell back asleep only a few moments later.

ssssssss

"Hermione, wake up," a male voice told her silently and a moment later she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder, which made her open her eyes. For a long moment, she didn't know where she was and she looked around in confusion, but then her eyes landed on her Potions Professor and she stared at him with wide eyes. He was back in his teaching robes and it looked like he had been up for a while, because his bed was neatly made and his hair looked like it was still wet from the shower.

"Good morning Professor," she mumbled before her brain caught on and remembered, that she was supposed to call him by his first name. But somehow she felt the need to assure him, that she remembered the first rule he had established between the two of them and so acknowledging his position felt somehow right.

He looked at her with a soft smile. "Good morning, Miss Granger," he replied with a nod. "You have about half an hour before your first class. As far as I know, it's potions so it's not too far to your classroom. You know the way to the bathroom. I'll have some breakfast ready for you in the sitting room by the time you're finished."

Hermione looked at him with an open mouth. The man looked totally unfazed by the fact that she'd spent the night at his bedroom. He had even transfigured his chair into a bed for her, she realized, which indicated that he must have been awake during the night. For some reason, she had expected him to make a fuss about it, but Severus didn't. And Hermione was more relieved about it, then she had expected. "Thank you. I'll only freshen myself up a bit."

Luckily she was used to hurrying up in the bathroom, as her dorm mates usually spent ages in there and so Hermione usually did quick work in the mornings. It was only seven minutes later when she entered Severus' sitting room with a shy smile on her lips. The man already waited for her on the sofa with a big mug of something in his slim hands.

"I ordered my assigned house-elf to bring your schoolbag so you won't have to run back to your dorm and get it. Don't worry, he will keep his mouth shut."

Hermione nodded with a thankful smile. "I'd never make it back in time for your lesson, which would have meant that you'd have given me detention." She grinned. "There was a time when this would have meant personal failure to me."

Her friend snorted. "I can imagine. You were quite enthusiastic. I was the same as a boy, only less bossy and way too shy to raise my hand more than any of the others. Slytherin is a complicated house and one had to tread carefully if one didn't want to get hurt. Luckily this was something I already learned as a child."

Hermione looked at him with a sad expression. "I can imagine. How are you feeling today? Are you even able to teach?"

Severus looked at her with a raised brow. "I am not known for being sick," he said with a neutral expression on his face. "And it's not the first time I had some unpleasant experiences the night before. Don't worry about me, Hermione."

She sighed. "That's easier said than done. I… can't help it. Since yesterday night there's this constant, nagging worry inside me and even though it calmed down a bit, it's still there. Must be the connection through the Open Link or something."

The Professor nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. It'll probably take a while for it to calm down. Maybe I should really give you detention so you can use the evening to convince yourself I'm alright."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. "You wouldn't. What would you give me detention for anyway? I'm your best student."

He looked at her with a raised brow. "So? When has that ever deterred me from giving somebody detention? I'm known for being unfair after all."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Confusing observations

Severus sent the disillusioned girl out of his office before he left it a few minutes later himself. It wasn't far from his chambers to the classrooms and when he finally arrived, all the students were already waiting in front of the classroom door. By the look of it, Potter and his red-haired sidekick had already missed Hermione as they seemed to be bombarding her with nosy questions, which the girl answered with a good-natured eye-roll. She really had the patience of a saint. If he was in her shoes, he'd long ago suffocated them in their sleep and blamed somebody else.

"Today we are going to start brewing Veritasserum," he announced after he had positioned himself in front of the class. "Making it is a long process and I am pretty sure most of you won't even be able to produce a proper base for the potion, let alone make a usable end product, as the potion is a difficult one. For many of you, it will probably be the most difficult potion you ever attempt, as I don't see a lot of you continuing for your NEWTs."

Some of those dunderheads were actually stupid enough to nod at this. He snorted inwardly. "I most likely will not have to tell you, what Veritasserum is used for, as it is one of the most commonly known potions. Can anyone tell me, how many drops of the potions are needed on an adult for the potion to take effect?"

Most of those idiots just stared back at him like sheep. Only Malfoy and Hermione raised their hands, which made his choice pretty clear. It wasn't like he could ever favour a muggle-born over a Malfoy if he wanted to keep his position as a Death Eater spy. "Mr Malfoy?"

"The exact dosage depends on the weight of the person. For a man of average build three drops are usually enough," the boy answered in a self-assured tone.

Severus nodded. "Very good, Mr Malfoy. Five points to Slytherin," he said and continued. "Usually more than five drops will be enough for somebody to lose consciousness, seven are enough to kill a person."

Most of them nodded, but almost no one except Hermione felt the need to take notes, which was typical for this generation's arrogance. He rolled his eyes.

"Who of you can tell me, if Veritasserum can also be used to interrogate other species like for example Vampires or house-elves?" he continued to ask. The answer to the question was not in the books and so he wasn't surprised that none of them raised their hand. It was the opener he was looking for.

"Well, Miss Granger? As you usually feel the need to share your wisdom with the class, you're welcome to do so now," he said and looked at the little witch with a wolfish grin. The action let him feel a little tug of guilt in his heart, but he hastily pushed it aside. He was on a mission after all.

Hermione looked at him with hard eyes. "I don't know, Sir," she replied politely but he could already see the pink colour of her cheeks. She didn't like it when he made her look silly in front of the class. But he had to keep up his role, after all.

He shook his head with a disappointed sigh. "How disappointing," he said with a bored tone and turned away from her. Then he flicked his wand and let the instructions for the first part of the potion appear on the board behind him. "Well, I recommend all of you read these instructions very carefully. They are not similar to the instructions in the book so I advise you to take some notes. As your homework, I expect a 10-inch-essay on why I made the changes to the recipe with your guesses on the effect those might have on the potion."

Some of them nodded and Hermione was already scanning the instructions on the board with her eyes.

"After you finish taking your notes, you can begin to brew. Try not to hurt your classmates in the process." He specifically focussed on Longbottom while saying those words, but he was pretty sure that the oaf would still manage to melt his cauldron today. Severus had just the unmistakable feeling, it was one of these days.

One after another the teenagers began their work and by the time most of them had finished copying his instructions from the board, Hermione and Draco had already arranged all their ingredients on the table and started brewing. Then, ten minutes later everyone was busy enough, that he could continue his mission. Like it was his habit he started strolling through the classroom and when he reached Hermione's table, it was only a little motion with his hand that made the additional ingredient slip into her cauldron. It was just a little wing of a firefly, but the effect was impressive if also totally harmless. Just as Severus had reached the end of the row, there was a huge fountain that arose from her cauldron and sprinkled its contents like a fine mist on every surface and utensil in Hermione's reach as well as the girl herself. The little witch stumbled back from her table with a surprised squeak and looked at the mess with wide, teary eyes.

"Miss Granger!" he bellowed and strode back to her. Then he built himself up in front of her table and sneered: "What in the name of Merlin have you done, you clumsy chit? It says one leaf of the moon thistle, not two!"

The girl stared at him with wide eyes and a trembling bottom lip and his heart gave another warning tug. But he brushed it aside and continued: "One should mean by the number of books you're ingesting you should be able to read such a simple instruction."

At that, something in her expression snapped and suddenly her soft, brown eyes became stormy and defiant. Finally. Merlin, he had given her reason enough to lose her temper. "Well Professor," she bit out with clenched teeth. "then you should probably start working on your handwriting, as I am clearly not the only one who has problems making something out of it."

Several students around her gasped in shock and even Weasley looked at her like she had suddenly lost her mind talking to him like that. He could have laughed out aloud because considering that his writing had clearly gotten more and more sloppy over the years, the girl was totally right. But he couldn't very well agree with her in front of their gaping classmates.

He looked at her with a raised brow. "Five points from Gryffindor," he said calmly and looked at her with cold eyes. "For your disrespect. Now you'll clean up this mess, by hand if you please."

She looked at him with an angry expression. "And when shall I finish my potion, Sir?"

The corner of his mouth twitched, but he was pretty sure only Hermione was able to see it. "I thought that was fairly obvious, Miss Granger. You'll be in detention with me this evening and every following evening this week. There you'll not only get the chance to finally start your potion, but you'll have numerous chances to learn to decipher my handwriting."

She looked at him with a defiant expression on her face but didn't say a word in return. Instead, she made an angry noise in the back of her throat and stormed to the sink, to grab some cleaning supplies. Severus could hear his Slytherins chuckle in the back of the room, but interestingly Malfoy was not one of them – a fact that he'd analyse later. Because he was pretty sure that his godson would have usually loved this kind of display.

ssssssss

"Merlin Hermione," Ron said when they finally made up their way into the Great Hall. It was time for lunch now and even though Hermione had been prepared for Severus giving her detention, she still had problems to wrap her head around what happened. "I can't believe you told Snape to work on his handwriting. This was probably the funniest and scariest thing you've ever done."

Hermione looked at him with a raised brow. "You found it funny?"

Ron snorted. "Yupp. I bet it's the first time someone told him, that his instructions are almost impossible to read."

Harry hummed in agreeance. "Yeah, though I never expected you'd be the one to do it, Hermione."

"Do what?" a curious voice asked from behind and a moment later another pair of Weasleys strolled past them and looked at her with a curious expression. It only took Ron a matter of minutes to proudly repeat the story to them. The twins followed his tale with mischievously shining eyes.

"You should have seen it: Hermione telling him off while she was covered in green soot from her cauldron. She looked like a wet, grumpy cat," Ron finished his story with an amused chuckle. Hermione looked at him with a dark expression.

"You forget to mention the fact that I'm in detention with him for the whole week now, again," she said and sighed dramatically. "Merlin, if the Professor didn't already hate me, I'm pretty sure he does now." It was a big, fat lie, Hermione realized, but somehow she almost enjoyed constructing her tale. Merlin, Severus had really made a skilled liar out of her. But letting everybody think they hated each other would only help to disguise their secret friendship.

Harry snorted. "Well, Snape definitely hates me but there's only so much he can do. So don't worry. You already survived two weeks of detention with him so this can't be worse, huh?" He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

Hermione sighed. "No. But I really don't fancy making the potion while he breathes down my neck. I'll probably cut my finger off or something."

The twins looked at her with an amused glint in their eyes. "We could sell you some Puking Pastils or Nosebleed Nougat if you like. You could try to bleed all over his robes or something," Fred offered with a snort but Hermione just looked at him with a tired sigh. She really wasn't in the mood for buying any of their joke products after they had used them to trick her.

"And get another week of detention in return?" she asked and shook her head. "No thanks. I'm in enough trouble as it is."

Fred and George looked at her with a good-natured chuckle and smiled. "Probably," George said. "When you continue like that you'll get into more detentions than Fred and I this year. And we can't have that, can we?" He winked at her and for a moment the sight of it made her belly flutter. But Hermione squashed the feeling immediately. She was still mad at them and wouldn't fall victim to their charms that easily again.

"No," she said brusquely and as they had finally reached the Great Hall she sat down at her usual place, surrounded by Harry and Ron. "I don't want people to get the wrong impression after all."

For a moment Fred and George studied her with a confused expression on their faces, before the happy smile was back on their faces. All way through the meal they tried to involve her into a discussion, but Hermione just wasn't in the mood. Not only was she still cross with them, but her thoughts drifted back to Severus and she couldn't help but ask herself if he was alright. But she guessed she'd find out in the evening. That long she'd just have to wait and distract herself.

ssssssss

"Seems like our little chat with Hermione will have to wait until she worked her way through her detentions," George said with a sigh.

Fred snorted. "The better I get to know her, the more I like her," he confessed and grinned. "Who would have thought that the bookish Prefect would tell of a teacher, nonetheless Snape. Sometimes I've got the feeling we didn't know her very well at all."

George nodded. "Yeah, the girl definitely has some secrets but considering that she barely talked to us during lunch I wonder if she'll ever share them with us."

Fred threw himself on his bed and rubbed his head. "Yeah… she seemed somewhat distanced, didn't she? But it's not like we've done something, right?"

His brother shrugged. "Not sure, she's been kind of strange ever since she saw us selling our Skiving Snack boxes. I reckon she's probably not very happy about it."

But Fred looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh shit. She's found out about the reason for our little trip to the Infirmary," he said and rubbed his face. "Merlin, of course! The girl is smart and it probably hasn't taken much for her to count one and one together."

George looked at him with a sour expression. "Yeah. And if there's something that can seriously piss Hermione Granger off, then it's being kept away from class."

His brother moaned. "Merlin Georgie, we're fucked," he said and George nodded. His brother was right. They'd at least need to apologize to her and then it was still questionable if she'd trust them enough to let them in on another one of her secrets. Because at the moment they probably weren't here favourite persons at all and George had the feeling that it would need more than a little bit of Weasley charm to make her agree to teach them something like the disillusionment charm. Because they had just reminded her of their role as pranksters, which might not have been the cleverest thing to do.

sssssssss

It was again 7 p.m. when Hermione found herself in front of Severus' door. She had chosen to remain in her school robes, to give the whole detention-story a bit more of an official touch, in case she was seen in front of his door. And really, just when she was about to knock, Malfoy strode past her and looked at her with an analysing gaze.

"Granger," he greeted her in a neutral tone. Hermione already prepared herself for some more insults from him or some sort of attack. But none came. He just nodded towards her and continued to walk down the corridor, like it was the most normal thing for him and Hermione followed his retreating figure with a confused blink. It took her some moments to snap out of her stupor but finally, she shook her head and knocked at her Professor's door. It was only a moment until the man appeared in front of her and as soon as his dark eyes fell on her, he stepped aside without saying a word. Hermione looked at the office behind him with curious eyes. Usually his desk was laden with essays or some other kind of reading material, but today everything was impeccably clean and not a single scroll of parchment was to be seen. Had it been like this in the morning? Hermione couldn't remember.

"What shall I do for my detention, Professor?" she asked him with a slight smile on her lips and she could have sworn that a shimmer of amusement glinted in his eyes.

"I told you, you'd be brewing the basis for Veritasserum, Miss Granger," he replied with a neutral tone. "We'll be using my private lab, come on."

He turned around without another word and Hermione followed him full of excitement. She'd never been to his private lab in real life and just knew the room from his memories. But when they entered it everything was exactly like she remembered.

Severus led her to a large workbench in the middle and Hermione could see, that he had already laid out all the ingredients that she would need for making the potion. Hermione stepped closer. She expected that Severus would retreat to another part of the room to let her work alone, but when she looked at him she could see, that he had already rolled up his sleeves.

"We'll be making the potion together?" she asked him in surprise. He looked at her with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Did you expect me to let you alone with this mess after I ruined your potion? What kind of friend do you think I am?"

Hermione laughed. "A very sneaky one, that much is sure. What did you even do to let my potion go up like this? Because I'm pretty sure I didn't mess up the moon thistle."

Severus looked at her with a smug smile. "I put a wing of a firefly into your cauldron, a very fickle ingredient. Quite useful in some potions but most of them just have this sort of reaction."

"Severus Snape!" Hermione said in a mockingly scandalized tone, with her hands on her hips. "Who would have thought that you're a secret prankster? I am shocked."

Her friend chuckled. "Are you now? Well, only because I choose to appear as a humourless bastard doesn't mean that I really am. And now let's get started. I need a cup of tea on my sofa and you look, like you could use one yourself."

Hermione chuckled darkly before taking one of the sharp knives he had laid out in front of them. "You have no idea."

They worked in amicable silence and Severus only spoke to her to give her some useful hints or supply her with useful additional information. Hermione found, that she enjoyed working with him like that immensely. Brewing with Professor Snape on her side was nothing like she had described to Ron and Harry. Severus didn't breathe down her neck or question her abilities, he was simply a reliable and knowledgeable assistant at her side that let her take the lead. And so when their potion was finished, Hermione had the feeling to have learned so much more than during a regular potions lesson.

Within an hour they were finally back to the sofa in his sitting room and this time Hermione took the place at his side without hesitation. "How are you feeling?" she asked him and studied him with worried eyes. Now that she had time to look at him properly she could see, that his skin was even whiter than it usually was and even though his lips formed a little smile Severus looked … tired.

"Better than I should, considering the fact that the bastard almost killed me yesterday," he replied casually and took a sip from the cup of tea, that suddenly appeared in front of him on the table. Usually, Severus made their tea himself and the fact that he let a house-elf do it for him today said enough about his actual condition.

Hermione nodded grimly. "Is there anything I can do?"

At that, he took her hand. "You already did more, than you probably know. Without you, Hermione, he would have ended me yesterday. Somehow, your magic protected me from the worst damage. I don't know how, but I could definitely feel it."

She nodded nervously. "I tried sending my magic to you and I'm glad it worked. I think that's what this Open Link is actually meant for. It protects the person that's important to you."

Her friend blinked before he studied her with a serious expression. "And somehow I am this person to you." He shook his head in disbelief. "You know, yesterday I realized, that I didn't want to die. Before, it never was like this. I was always prepared for things to end one day and usually I was Okay with it."

"But now you're not?" Hermione asked him and searched for his eyes.

"No. I realized that I want to make it through this war and if it's just to live a normal life afterwards. One where I'm no longer a teacher and you're no longer my student. I want to help you to find your family and I want to see Potter's and Weasley's face when they realize that you're my friend. I haven't had a friend since I was a weird, skinny kid and I'm not ready to give this up, just because some crazy maniac plans to rule the world."

Somehow this little speech wasn't at all what she had expected from him, but Severus' words touched her heart and made her want to protect him, so he was able to do what he just told her. Hermione looked at him with moist eyes and before she could think about it twice, she threw her arms around him with a little sob. "Oh Severus," she said burying her face in his shoulder. She wanted to tell him, that things would be alright in the end but both of them knew that none of them could know that at this point. And so she didn't say anything and simply held him close. They sat like that for a long while and just as she was about to let go of him, she saw that he looked at her with wide eyes.

"You're doing it again," he said, staring at her in confusion. "You're sending me your magic."

Hermione blinked before she paused and listened inside of her. And really, she could feel a small trickle of magic leave her body, not enough to weaken her, but now that she knew about it, it was definitely noticeable. "I… you're right. I didn't even realize I was doing it… shall I stop?"

He slowly shook his head. "No… 's a nice feeling actually… and it really helps against the pain. Feels like my body 's actually healing itself with your magic, but that can't be true."

She looked at him full of excitement. "No? What if it is? You said there's not much known about the Open Link… I mean, how many of us have there ever been? What if this ability just hasn't been documented yet?"

Severus looked at her with his eyes shining in excitement. "Could be possible. But Merlin, if that's true, who knows what else you'd be capable of?"

Hermione lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him with an excited smile. "Care to find out? After all, we have a whole week of detention ahead of us. Or do you have a better idea how to use it? Scrubbing some cauldrons maybe?"

The man in her arms snorted. "Careful Miss Granger or I'll have to take some more points from Gryffindor for your cheek," he warned her with a smile on his lips.

Hermione chuckled. "Or you could give me more detention."

"Cheeky witch," he replied dryly but the smile on his lips told her, that he wasn't offended at all.

ssssssss


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Detention (part 1)

It was late when Hermione finally returned to the Gryffindor common room and as her face was weary and tired when she finally passed the portrait hole, Fred and George decided that it was probably not the best moment to convince the witch of their trustworthiness. And so they decided to postpone their campaign to another day when she didn't look like she'd fall asleep in the middle of a conversation. But considering she had detention for the whole week, they possibly had to be patient again.

"Do you think it's the best idea to keep selling our Snack boxes?" George asked his brother when they strolled through the corridors the next afternoon. "Maybe we should lie low until Hermione has spoken more than three sentences with us…"

"This is who we are Georgie and Hermione knows that," Fred said with furrowed brows. "We have never pretended to be anything less. She knows we love pranking and want to open a joke shop, Georgie. She's even been to our lab, remember? And she still liked us."

Him brother hummed in agreeance. "Yeah, she did. Do you think she still does? I mean, considering what Sirius told us, we could both date her, if that's what we want."

Fred shrugged. "Dunno. But I think at first we need to find an occasion to properly talk to her. And maybe we have a chance to find out then." He looked at his twin with a wide grin. "But that probably won't be before the weekend. So, for now, let's do what we do best. Let's try to sell some more of these Snack boxes. Do you think the other houses would be interested, too?"

George grinned. "Let's find out, shall we?"

ssssssss

Dolores' week had just gotten a bit better. Ever since the Brown-girl was back, she had tried to get information from her, but whoever had kidnapped the girl had thoroughly wiped her memories. And so, apart from the fact that Lavender Brown was not the Open Link, Dolores was as wise as she had been before. It was beyond frustrating.

Now, two days after all the students were back at school, she had been at a loss what to do. By taking the stupid chit with her to the Minister, she had played out all her cards and lost. From now on Dumbledore would keep a close eye on her and her doings but that was alright with her because she would be doing the same with him. Luckily her Inquisitorial Squad was more than willing to supply her with useful information, which brought her to the two redheaded troublemakers in front of her desk.

"Hem hem, well gentlemen," she said in a sugary sweet voice as she looked at them and the pile of products on the desk in front of her. "How does it come that you are found in possession of such a number of yoke products when Educational Degcreed Nr. 4 clearly forbids the use or ownership of such things?" Dolores asked and studied Fred and George Weasley. Surprisingly the boys didn't look uncomfortable or even regretful in the least, which only fortified her decision that it was time, to finally get her message across to those pig-headed students. Her rules had to be followed, by all students, even those that usually did not see the need to bow to their teacher's year-long experience.

"Huh. That's what Decree Nr. 4 was about?" One of them said and looked at the other one with a shrug. "Sorry Ma'am, but after a while, I slightly lost the overview. There's so many of them by now, that this one must have slipped our mind."

The other red-head nodded, but she could see in their eyes, that it was a cheeky lie and they knew exactly what they were doing. "Well, Messrs Weasley that is the reason why those rules are placed on the wall, for everybody to see. Students are walking past them every day in the hope, that by reading them on a daily basis the rules will finally stick. But obviously, the two of you will need a more permanent reminder."

The boys looked at her with raised brows and Dolores realized that she had confused them. Good. She had hoped that her decision to ban them from Quidditch had taught them, not to cross her, but obviously stricter measures were needed to teach those two that Dolores Umbridge was a woman, whose rules were better obeyed. Luckily she had remembered to bring her Blood Quills for occasions like these. "I think a detention is in order. You'll be visiting my Office this evening at 7 p.m., and tomorrow and the day after."

Fred and George Weasley looked at her and nodded. "Yes Ma'am," they replied lightly and looked at her with an expression which told her, that those boys seemed to be proud to have earned themselves detention. Merlin, those two boys were really misled, poor souls if they took pride in things like that. But luckily Dolores Umbridge was well equipped to teach them that breaking rules was a very bad thing. She had the right tools and she had three days to get the message across. When she was finished with them, Fred and George would think twice before they disobeyed her again. And Dolores would enjoy teaching them this lesson.

ssssssss

When Hermione walked into the Common room at half-past six on her way to detention, Fred and George were already waiting for her with a wide grin on their faces.

"Looks like we have the same way this evening, Hermione," George said with an amused sparkle in his eyes.

Fred nodded. "Yeah, for the next three evenings we are in detention, too."

Hermione looked at them in surprise. "With Professor Snape?"

The two of them shook their heads with a snort. "God, no. Luckily the guy is no longer our problem," Fred said and offered her his arm. But Hermione just stared at it for a moment, before she started walking out of the room, without taking it. It was only a moment, before the twins with their long legs were right next to her again.

"No, we're in detention with Umbridge," George explained. "Her little helpers found us selling our products and she wasn't very impressed with us."

"Of course she wasn't," Hermione said with a sigh. "The woman has passed 42 Educational Decrees by now. She wants to get control over the school, hell, she even prohibited singing on the floors. Of course, she wouldn't be impressed if she found out you were selling joke products in school."

The boys shrugged with a grin. "Well taking control over the school isn't going very well for her, is it?" Fred asked and crossed his hands behind his head. "We are talking about students - teenagers. They are not simply giving up singing or snogging, just because this woman has swallowed a stick."

George snorted, but Hermione looked at Fred with furrowed brows. "Aren't you worried at all?" she asked them in disbelief but the two of them just shook their heads with an amused smile.

"Worried?" George asked with glinting eyes. "About what? Being in detention?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Boys, this woman is dangerous. Please be careful."

At that, Fred put his arm around her back with an amused smile. "Don't tell me you're worried about us, Hermione. That's actually really sweet." He looked at her with a smug grin. It was only a moment until George copied his gesture and put his arm around her as well.

"Don't worry Hermione. Fred and I are used to doing detentions. We've done it all, scrubbing cauldrons for Snape, going to the Dark Forest with Hagrid… don't worry. We'll be able to take whatever our High Inquisitor is making us do."

Hermione looked at them with a doubtful expression, but Fred and George didn't look like they were worried in the least. Maybe it was her sixth sense or the Open Link, but something told her that Dolores Umbridge was a dangerous person. She could only hope, that Fred and George were right with their conviction that they'd be able to handle her because Hermione had the feeling that they were in for a bad surprise.

ssssssss

When Severus had given Hermione detention for the whole week, he had already planned to put the time to good use. Not only was he desperate to spend some time with the girl he had barely seen over Christmas, but his near-death experience had also taught him the value of time. Severus didn't know how much time he had left until the Dark Lord would finally finish him off, but he knew that he wanted to spend as much of it with somebody who actually cared about him. But he didn't intend to drink tea with the girl, no, Severus planned to make himself useful. And if Hermione decided to use the time for exploring the Link between them, then it was completely fine with him. Because no matter if they liked the idea or not, Hermione was probably the only thing that stood between them and Voldemort ruling over wizarding Britain, well she and Harry Potter, but at the moment Severus had no idea how to even save the boy.

"Come in," he said with played boredom when the girl finally stood in front of his office. Now that the hunt for the Open Link had started anew, they would have to be extra careful not to attract unwanted attention. Hermione followed his invitation with a simple, silent nod and it was only a few moments later when they found themselves on the sofa of his sitting room.

Compared to yesterday, Hermione seemed much more relaxed, which was probably due to the fact that he looked much better today. It was a miracle to him, but the energy that Hermione had gifted him with the day before, had really helped him to heal much faster and better than any potion would have been able to.

"How are you, Severus?" she asked him, while her warm, brown eyes were focussed on his face and studied it carefully.

"I'm back to my old, snarky self, don't worry," he replied grinning crookedly. "I don't know how you did it, but it's like the whole thing never happened, which should be impossible. The Cruciatus always leaves an invisible mark, no matter what potions you take or spells you use."

Hermione looked at him in wonder. "That's … Merlin, I'm so glad you're alright." Without hesitation, she took his hands into hers and Severus allowed it with a little smile. "What about… older damage? Do you think I would be able to heal that, too?"

Severus looked at her with a thoughtful expression. "Hard to say. Like every injury, I believe the damage has scarred in some way and once the scar is there, it's hard to get rid of. Scars are a tricky thing."

Hermione nodded in understanding. "Could I try anyway? I know it sounds stupid, but I want to make you feel better."

The girl was a miracle. How could she have this kind of affection for an old, snarky man like himself? In the past four years, he never had a kind word for her, but to her, this somehow didn't seem important. Hermione had forgiven him his past insults and had befriended him without reservation. It seemed that the girl would do almost anything for her friends and Severus realized that this attitude of self-sacrifice was what made her an Open Link.

"You can try Hermione," Severus answered and looked at their entwined hands, "but don't be disappointed if it doesn't work. As I said, the damage has most likely already scarred."

She nodded with a determined expression. "Alright. Okay, let me think. I was able to send you my magic even though you were far away, but yesterday it seemed somehow easier, maybe because I was touching you. Are you alright with me continuing to hold your hand?" She looked at him with a nervous expression.

Severus snorted. " 's not like you asked my permission before and no, I don't mind. I know you respect the boundaries I have set and that's everything I care about. I'm not some shy virgin or whatever you think I am."

The girl blinked at him in confusion with her mouth gaping open and Severus would have loved to know what went through that bushy head of hers. But after a moment she cleared her throat saying: "Yeah, alright. Sorry. I just wanted to make sure."

He waited for her to continue, but her eyes went down to their hands again and she stared at them in awkward silence. It was strange. His words were meant to assure her, but instead, Hermione seemed shy and contemplative. "What is it, Hermione? I can see you're brooding over something. Just spit it out."

For a moment she didn't react. Then her eyes carefully moved up to his face again, before she slightly shook her head again and said: "No, it's alright, really. It's none of my business."

None of her business? Merlin, what was the girl even talking about? He sighed in exasperation. "Hermione…" he said in a warning tone. "…it's obvious that there's something that's bothering and distracting you. We don't need any distractions right now, not when we're playing around with unexplored magic like this. So whatever it is, put it aside or in the name of Salazar talk to me. I'm not going to bite your head off."

She started to chew on her bottom lip again, which meant she was nervous. He probably wouldn't like what was coming next, but he swore to himself that he would not snap or do anything else to drive the girl away. Severus waited.

Finally, Hermione took a deep breath and said: "Have you ever been in love, Severus?"

He blinked. That wasn't what he had expected. "Once," he replied straightforwardly.

Hermione nodded asking in a small voice. "What happened?"

He gave a humourless snort. "She didn't love me back and married another guy. End of story."

He expected pity from her, not that he wanted any, but the girl simply nodded and went on: "Do you still love her?"

That one was easy to answer. "I do." Yeah, he still loved Lily Evans, would probably love her as long as he lived. It was a simple fact, that the woman held his heart, even though she never wanted it and wasn't even alive any longer.

The girl absorbed his words silently, but the chewing of her bottom lip and her rapidly back and forth flickering eyes told him that this probably wasn't the end of their conversation. And he was right.

"Was she the person who…" she took a deep breath. "Was she the person you had sex with?" Her cheeks were deep pink by now and if it wasn't his private life she wanted to know about, he would have been amused by it. But hell, the girl was a teenager - a virgin. It was only natural that she was curious.

"No." The answer was simple even though the story behind it was not. Hell, what would the girl say when he told her that he was in love with her best friend's mother?

"But you're not a virgin," Hermione stated calmly and he could almost see her brain-cells working in overdrive. And he was dreading the question that was most likely coming next. "Can I ask how… who… I mean…"

Alright, stay calm, do not snap, he told himself and looked at her with a neutral expression. He'd rather avoid this topic, but he wanted her to trust him and that meant he had to give uncomfortable answers sometimes, right? He sighed. "Do you really want to know, Hermione? Because I will tell you, that you will not like the answer."

He saw her swallow before she nodded with her eyes full of determination. "You don't have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable. As I said, it's none of my business."

Severus snorted. "But you still want to know," he stated simply and she nodded. "Alright," he said with a sigh. It took a moment for him to prepare himself for what he was about to say, or better, he prepared himself for her reaction to it. Finally, he said: "Being a Death Eater comes with certain privileges and duties," he started and couldn't help to sneer the last words. "During the first war it was common practice to have regular celebrations after the raids and the participants were sometimes willing and sometimes they would have surely preferred death."

Severus could see that she had grasped the meaning of his words because she looked like she was going to be sick. He half expected her to pull her hands out of his grasp, but to his big surprise, she didn't. Instead, it was now that her eyes looked at him, clearly showing her conflicted feelings.

"That is, why you are not very fond of touching, is it? For you, it never came with comfort or love… it was always about…"

He nodded reluctantly. Because even though he had never seen it like that she was right. "Sometimes, when the participants where admirers or willing participants, it was about primal desires. But more often sex was used to cause pain to the poor souls, the Dark had gotten hold off. I was never a willing participant, but that doesn't make me any less guilty."

For a long moment, her sad brown eyes just stared at him, but suddenly she leaned forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry this happened to you," she mumbled into his chest and he stared at her in confusion. He had just told her that he had participated in rape, even if it was not by his choice, and she said she was sorry for him? That didn't make sense. Had she probably misunderstood?

"I can't say I understand your decision as there would have been no way in hell that I would have… I would have rather died. But I understand the urge to survive or to avoid torture, as this is what probably would have happened to you."

Severus nodded with a closed-off expression on his face. "I know. If I wouldn't have been a spy for the Order at the time, I would probably have chosen differently. But as things were I thought my value to the order was greater than the lives and emotional wellbeing of those poor souls. Apart from that: if I had refused another Death Eater would have most willingly taken my place."

The girl didn't say anything for a long while and Severus could see her staring at his chest with unseeing eyes. "I wish I could do something to comfort you, but there probably isn't much I can do," the girl said while she clung to him. "I can't lie to you: I hate that you did these things, it disgusts me more than I can say. But I understand your reasoning, I do. You're as much of the victim of that man's sick mind as were those men and women and I want you to know that I do not despise you for what you have done. You're my friend, Severus, I trust you and even though it's not my part to do so, I forgive you."

Severus nodded with a hammering heart. "I… thank you, Hermione." He hadn't even been aware that he needed somebody's forgiveness, but now that he had hers, no matter how much it was worth, he felt his heart grow a bit lighter. Then suddenly he could feel her magic seeping into him again. It felt like a soft tingle on his skin, warm like he was suddenly bathing in sunshine. Then the feeling moved deeper, right towards the centre of his chest where it finally settled. It felt like nothing he had felt before in his life, nothing at all. No power that the Dark Lord had promised and given him in his youth felt like that. Yes, he had felt power back then, too, but it had always felt tainted and wrong. The feeling that settled in his chest now was the total opposite. It was, like there was suddenly a pool of light inside him that started radiating through his whole body and it felt like a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders, a weight he hadn't even been aware of carrying.

"Severus?" he suddenly heard Hermione ask him in a small voice and suddenly he realized that she was no longer holding him. Instead, she sat next to him with huge, worried eyes. "What's wrong, Severus? You're crying. Did I do something wrong?"

He paused. Indeed, there were tears in his eyes. He hadn't even noticed. For the first time in 13 years Severus Snape was crying, but not out of sadness, but out of pure, undamped happiness. "No, there's nothing wrong at all," he said before he pulled the young woman back into his arms and nestled his cheek against her hair. And he didn't plan to let go of her anytime soon.

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A.N.: Huh, this last part wasn't planned at all. This emotional scene between Hermione and Snape just sort of … happened. I hope it doesn't feel too romantic because it isn't meant in a romantical way at all.


	27. Chapter 27

A.N.: Hello again, here's another chapter for you. I hope you're all still healthy and in good humour. If not, then I hope this chapter can cheer you up a bit. After this one, it's four more chapters until we're at the end of the first part of the story, which is kind of funny. When I started this whole journey I estimated the first part with about 15 chapters. Yeah, things have gotten a bit out of hand. I hope you don't mind.

Chapter 27: Detention part 2

Hermione was right, Fred thought when the bloody quill opened the skin on the back of his hand once more. This woman was evil, not like You-Know-How but in a very subtle and sick way.

When he and George first heard that they were meant to write lines, he had felt like laughing. But already after the first line, he realized that writing the actual line was only a minor part of the punishment. The woman made them hurt themselves, over and over again and with every line, the pain on the back of his hand grew a little worse as the words carved themselves deeper into his flesh. All the while Dolores Umbridge was sitting at her desk, drinking tea and watching them with a delighted glint in her eyes. It was making him sick.

Merlin, how many more times was he supposed to write those fucking words: "I must not buy joke items." If writing the line over and over again wouldn't have hurt that much, Fred would have felt like laughing. Because he and George had never actually bought the Skiving Snack boxes and all the other stuff, they had made them. But considering the circumstances, that was a fact, the better kept hidden from the woman that sat across from them in her pink, cushioned chair. Would those words on their hands ever fade? Or would they remain as a scar? If they did, he would wear it with pride, like a token he had earned himself and he was pretty sure George would do the same. And no, they would not buy yoke items again, they would make their own ones and they would be gigantic. And right when the words carved themselves into his skin once more Fred decided that he would sell them with a huge discount on anybody who used them on Dolores fucking Umbridge. Because even if the woman was not yet aware of it, she had crossed the wrong persons and she'd soon find out.

ssssssss

Hermione felt strange. She wasn't magically exhausted, which she should have been, considering that she had sent her magical energy to Severus for almost an hour now. The man had been sitting patiently at her side and letting her hold him without seeming uncomfortable or unwelcoming. Instead, his body had relaxed in her arms and his breathing had evened out, while he had buried his face in her shoulder.

Hermione couldn't forget what he had told her. She couldn't even imagine how it was to be forced to do these kinds of things against one's will, but she realized that her friend was in pain, even though those events must have happened years in his past. But the memories still hurt him and Hermione wanted to make the pain go away. So that's what she focussed on when she sent her magic to him and considering his emotional reaction it seemed to at least do something.

"I think that's enough for now," he finally murmured and let go of her. His eyes were still moist which meant that he had been silently crying on her shoulder the whole time. "I don't want you to spend all your energy and wear yourself out. We can always continue another day, even though I doubt this will be necessary."

Hermione blinked at him in surprise. "Does that mean it worked? Are you feeling better?"

The man looked at her with a smile. "I do. I feel worlds better than I did in a very long time and I don't know how I can ever pay you back."

She shook her head with a disbelieving smile. "Really, Severus? I thought by now we would be clear, there is no need for payback between the two of us. We're friends, Severus and friends help each other without expecting anything in return. You helped me so many times already, do you remember? You helped me protect my mind and you even agreed to obliviate my parents. Did you ever expect some sort of payment for that?"

He looked down into his lap and shook his head. His long hair was covering part of his face like a curtain, so that it was hard for her to see his expression. "No, I didn't." He paused and for a moment he seemed at a loss for words. "It's just, I'm not sure if you realize how special it is, what you've just done for me. No one and I really mean no one could have ever done that sort of thing. This whole Open Link business isn't just about supplying energy like we originally thought. Merlin, this is so much more and I slowly get the feeling we don't even know half of it."

Hermione nodded. Her friend was probably right and the implications of that excited and scared her at the same time. "Probably. This condition doesn't seem very well explored or at least documented, which is a good and a bad thing at the same time. We don't know how it could help us, or maybe also help others, but You-Know-Who and the Ministry don't know either."

"And it must stay that way," Severus urged her and looked up at her with a deadly serious expression. "If the Dark Lord ever learns what you are capable of… I can't even imagine what he would try to do to make you his." Her friend shook his head with a broody expression. "But it probably wouldn't even matter as he is already desperate to find you. If he ever gets you into his fingers, Hermione…" He shook his head with a sigh. "I don't even want to think about it."

"Then let's not think about this now," Hermione replied with a determined smile. "He doesn't have me yet and I'll do everything I can, that he never will. And even if he does, Severus, do you really think he could convince me to join his cause? After everything I know and I had to do, to keep my parents save?"

Her friend shook his head with a sad smile. "Not right away, no. But the Dark Lord can be very charismatic and persuasive, you have no idea. So please, be careful, Hermione, because I'm pretty sure if he ever captures you, there's no getting you back, at least not alive."

Hermione nodded with a solemn expression. "I promise to be careful, Severus. I know what's at stake and I'm not an idiot."

He snorted. "No, you're not. Thank god for that. I wouldn't be able to close an eye at night otherwise." With that, he got up from the sofa and looked at her with a raised brow. "Tea?"

She nodded with a happy smile. "Definitely. I feel like I need one before I return to the madness of the Gryffindor common room."

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It was late in the evening when Fred and George finally stumbled back into the common room. George felt dead on his feet, not because he was tired but because the last hours had totally worn him out emotionally. He and his brother were cheerful and optimistic by nature and having to hurt themselves over and over again had cost him every grain of self-control he could muster. And now he just wanted to crawl into bed and fall asleep, so he would no longer feel the permanent throbbing of his hand.

But the portrait hole hadn't even closed behind him as he already saw Hermione looking into their direction with sharp eyes. She was sitting with Harry and Ron by the window but as soon as her eyes fell on them, she was on her feet and hurried towards them. "Fred, George. Are you alright?" she asked them and looked at them with a worried expression. George shook his head with a tired sigh. "We will be, don't worry Hermione, just not tonight."

But his words were obviously not reassuring her in the least, as she grabbed his hand to pull him closer. The sting he felt at the contact was so bad, that he pulled his hand away with a hiss. She stared at him with wide, concerned eyes. "What has she done to you, show me," she demanded in a low voice but the undertone of it made the hairs in his neck stand up. He looked at his brother with an uncertain expression but Fred only shrugged and pulled a face.

George sighed showing her the back of his hand. The writing was still visible in red, angry lines and the skin around the edges was pink and swollen. Hermione took one look at it and gasped. "She carved your hand? How?" She asked in a disbelieving, angry tone while her eyes sparkled with something that caused an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Seems like she has a supply of Blood Quills. We had to write lines but instead of ink those things used our blood."

Hermione looked at his hand unblinkingly for a long moment and George could almost see the wheels in her head turning. He would have loved to know what she was thinking, but it was impossible to tell. "And you have to go back tomorrow?" She finally asked them with calm seriousness. The twins nodded in unison. "And the day after, yeah," Fred agreed with a sigh. "But don't worry Hermione. Georgie and I can deal with it. We'll not break because of some little cuts on our hands."

She looked at his brother with inquiring eyes. "But they still hurt? Are you in pain?"

George nodded with a grim smile. "I guess they will hurt for quite a while and probably leave a scar, too. But it's alright, Hermione, really."

The girl shook her head with a grim expression. "It's not. You should go to the hospital wing or Professor McGonagall. I could take you there right now. I'm a Prefect."

Fred shook his head. "Don't bother. I just want to fall into my bed right now and there probably isn't much she can do anyway. Those cuts are intended to resist healing magic. That's kind of the point, you know? As to McGonagall: I'm pretty sure the Minister gave the toad a carte blanche because all he cares about is capturing the Open Link."

Hermione sighed. It was obvious that she didn't like this answer and for a moment it looked like she would object. But instead, she hung her shoulders and nodded. "Alright, we're not going to the infirmary tonight. But you're meeting me in your lab, tomorrow after classes are finished. That is not negotiable."

George blinked at her confusedly. "Uh, alright. Did someone ever tell you, that you can be kind of bossy?"

"Your little brother keeps reminding me of that fact," the girl replied with a snort and a shrug. "I guess as my friends you'll have to learn to live with it. So don't be late, tomorrow."

Fred looked at her with a grin. "Wouldn't dream of it."

ssssssss

"I need your help," he heard Hermione's voice right next to him, even though he was unable to see her. Severus had just finished his morning classes and was about to go back to his rooms when he found her waiting disillusioned in front of his office. The girl had never visited him during the daytime, so he already guessed that there was a reason behind her break of habit, which made him invite her in with a jerk of his head towards his office door. He opened it with a wave of his wand and stepped through without turning around to her again. But when he locked the door some moments later, he could see her appear two steps away to his right.

"What do you need?" he asked while studying her with a concerned expression. She seemed a bit distracted and maybe a tad nervous, which suggested that he wouldn't like what she asked of him. But he guessed it couldn't be worse than obliviating her parents.

"I need a healing potion or anything that could help against damage done by Blood Quills," she said and looked at him with pleading eyes. Severus stared back at her with a disbelieving expression.

"Blood Quills? Those things are medieval and out of use for centuries, for good reason, I might add," he patiently explained, but the girl didn't flinch.

"They're not. Professor Umbridge is using them in detention. She hurt my friends with them and she'll do so again tonight and tomorrow."

For a moment he had problems to contemplate what she was saying. Dolores Umbridge was torturing students during detention? If the words had come from another person than Hermione, he probably wouldn't have believed them. But the girl stood in front of him with wide eyes and a trembling bottom lip, which made it obvious that she was telling the truth. "That's unexpected…" he replied carefully and looked at her with raised brows. "Have you seen the wounds?"

She nodded with a grim expression. "I have. Can you help?"

He sighed. "Probably. There might be a potion or two that could help your friends. But they are difficult to make and I only have a minimal supply. I will give them to you, but I have two conditions."

"Anything," Hermione replied with wide, shining eyes. He sighed. He didn't even have to ask for which of her friends she needed the potions. There were only two boys she would get that excited about at the moment, even though she would probably deny it. He sighed. The girl finally needed to learn to get her emotions under control or she would never manage to distance herself from them.

Severus said: "You will tell no one who gave these potions to you, Hermione, not even them."

She nodded without hesitation. Keeping their association a secret wasn't anything new to her at all. "Alright and the other condition?"

He smiled crookedly. "We'll use your detention this evening to make new ones. I have the feeling they will be needed within the next weeks. Because when it is true what you just told me, then our High Inquisitor is just about to get warmed up."

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When Hermione arrived in the room behind the three-eyed troll, Fred and George were already there. As the two of them didn't attempt a lot of NEWTs they had a bunch of free time and most of it they seemed to spend in their lab. When she stepped through the door, both of them were busily working on one of their projects and when none of them reacted to the sound of the closing door, she loudly cleared her throat. Both of them immediately paused their work, turning around to her with a welcoming smile.

"Hello Hermione," George greeted her with a smile and putting the firecracker he seemed to be working on aside.

"Nice of you to come visiting us again," Fred added, stepping closer to her. He stopped when he was only two steps away and sat down on one of the empty tables in front of her. George chose the place next to his brother and said: "We didn't really have time to talk since the holidays. How are you feeling, love?"

"Better," she replied with a small smile. "I still miss my parents terribly, but I no longer feel lonely, if that makes any sense."

The boys nodded. "Of course it does," Fred said with a small smile. "I'm glad you're better."

"That's not why I'm here though," she said and stepped closer. Her eyes involuntarily travelled to their hands, where the marks from their last detention were still clearly visible. "I want to help you, boys. Will you let me?"

For a moment they didn't say anything and to Hermione, it seemed, like they were communicating without words. Finally, Fred sighed and said: "You can try, Mione. But there might not be much you can do."

She looked at them with her chin raised proudly. "Maybe, but maybe not. Some time ago I brewed some potions, just in case things get ugly. As I am Harry's best friend and he constantly gets into trouble it's only a matter of time until I'll need them, but I can make new ones if those work for you." It was a lie of course, but Severus had taught her well and so her eyes didn't even twitch. "They're very effective and should be able to heal your skin. If you would be willing to try them?"

Fred looked at her with his mouth twitching into a smile. "You want us to try an unknown potion? Without being sure if it works?" he asked and looked at her with his brows raised in interest.

Hermione nodded shyly. "Yeah. I know this means a lot of trust from your side, but…"

George snorted. "…'s alright. We're testing our own stuff all the time. 's not a big deal. Just try to get us to the Infirmary in time, if something goes wrong."

She stared at them with big eyes. "Really? You're agreeing to drink them? Just like that?"

"Just like that," Fred agreed with a nod and held his palm open. Hermione reached into the pocket of her robe, where she had stored the four vials that Severus had given her. She pulled them out, but only handed the ones with the pink, milky potion over to the twins.

"You'll only need to take a mouthful, which means that you could keep the rest for later if it works," she explained and looked at them with a shy smile. The twins nodded attentively.

"Alright," Fred finally said and grinned at his brother. "Any last words, Georgie?"

"Nope," George said and raised his vial to Hermione. "Cheers, love," he said and with a last smile towards her, he took a big gulp. Fred followed his example a second later. For a moment they stared at her with a confused expression on her face, but then their eyes widened and they looked at their hands in wonder.

"It's gone," George said tonelessly before he suddenly leapt from his place, stormed towards her and scooped her up into his arms. Hermione squeaked in surprise and looked at him with wide eyes, but he just grinned and twirled her around. "You're brilliant," he said and grinned.

"Not that this comes as a surprise to us," Fred said and stepped next to him. "We always knew you were." He winked at her.

Hermione smiled shyly. Her heart was dancing the tango again and the fact that they were so close to her now, didn't help her confused feelings in the least. "Thanks, boys. Would you mind putting me down again, George?"

The redhead grinned. "Actually I would. But I've seen you have another potion for us, so I better should, huh?"

She nodded with a small smile. George let her slide down his body until she was standing on the floor in front of him again. Then he looked at her with a raised brow and a wide grin.

"Well, what's this second potion then?" his brother asked and looked at her with brown, curious eyes.

Hermione nervously rubbed her neck. She replied: "This one 's actually for later. Take it before you go to your detention. It will numb all pain for a few hours, so you hopefully won't feel a thing until you're back to your dorm. If all goes well you're really just writing lines today, boys." She looked at them with a small smile, before she handed over two more vials. Those contained a milky, white potion that had some silvery particles floating around them. "Again a sip should be enough, which means you should have enough for tomorrow, too."

The boys stared at her in wonder. "You're… that's…" George mumbled and pocketed his potion with a disbelieving smile.

"…brilliant," Fred supplied helpfully and slipped his vial into the pocket of his robes. Then he made a step towards her and pulled her into his arms. "You're brilliant Hermione," he mumbled into her ear. He was so close, that she could feel his breath on her skin which made it break out into goosebumps immediately. She shivered.

"I'm happy to help," she mumbled sheepishly and Fred let go of her with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Of course you are," he said with a gentle smile before he stroked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Hermione swallowed heavily because for a moment she could have sworn that he would kiss her any second. But nothing happened. Instead, he looked at her with a grin and a twinkle in his eyes, before he pulled back and said: "And we are some lucky bastards to have a friend like you, right Georgie?"

His brother agreed with a wide smile. "Lucky bastards, indeed."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: The confession

The girl was a genius, Fred thought as he wrote the first line using Umbridge's Blood Quill. The red writing appeared on the paper in front of him, as it appeared on the back of his hand, but Fred didn't feel a thing. But Hogwarts' dear High Inquisitor was watching him with her beady eyes glinting with anticipation and so he tried to not let the smugness show on his face. Instead, he pressed his lips together and hoped that she would interpret it as a gesture of being in pain before he wrote on. And with every finished sentence, his thoughts shifted back to Hermione – kind, brilliant Hermione Granger. God, how much he wanted her to be more than a friend. Why hadn't he found the time going through Sirius' books by now? There had been time after he had finished the analysis of their knowledge on the Open Link for Dumbledore and what had they done with it? They had used it for selling joke items. Not that it wasn't a good cause too, but right now he wished he had set his priorities differently so that he could just run to Hermione, swoop her into his arms and snog her until she did no longer know her own name. But who said he couldn't? He was pretty hopeful that Hermione still felt the same about him. Fred wasn't an idiot after all and he prided himself to be able to read witches pretty well. And his antennas told him that Hermione was interested in him – in them – and wasn't that incentive enough? He wasn't sure, but with every new sentence he wrote, the idea of just kissing her seemed more and more tempting. And through their twin bond he sensed that George felt pretty much the same.

ssssssss

"I love brewing with you," Hermione confessed after they bottled the last bit of their potion. It had taken them until almost midnight to finish their batch of Severus' healing potion but now they had 13 little phials full of it and Hermione could proudly say that she had learned to brew a new potion – one that couldn't be found in any book. "Well, at least when we're alone in your lab. Not so much in class though."

Severus snorted. "No? Can't imagine why."

Hermione giggled. A few weeks ago it would have seemed impossible to her, that Professor Snape would make a joke in her presence. But here they were, giggling together like there weren't almost 20 years between them in age and they had been friends for ages. Sometimes fate took strange paths.

"And you're sure I can keep two more bottles?" she asked after they finally had calmed down.

Her friend nodded with a smile. "I now have more than enough of them. Well, at least until Umbridge decides to make using Blood Quills her preferred punishment. And I wouldn't put that behind her."

"The woman is evil," Hermione agreed with a serious nod. "Not like him, but there's something lurking behind this façade of fluff and pink which makes my skin crawl. She's the last person I would have ever told my secret."

Severus' mouth twitched. "Yeah, instead you told me. I bet I have much the same effect on most of the other students."

"You're not evil," Hermione replied with a shake of her head.

"I'm not good either, Hermione," Severus warned her and sought out her eyes. "Don't romanticise me as a tragic hero or something. I'm a very selfish man."

"…that is trying to survive in a very impossible situation," Hermione added to his words. "No one can fault you for that, least of all I. Before short or long I'll be trying to do much of the same thing."

Severus nodded with knowing eyes. "That, you will. And it's possible people will hate you for that."

"Not you," Hermione said with a small smile. "You'll understand."

"I will, Hermione because I've done it all." He sent her a humourless grin. "Which is why I was such a lonely bastard before you stumbled into my life."

sssssssss

It was after midnight when Hermione stumbled back into the common room. She had disillusioned herself for her way back through the castle again, but now that the portrait of the fat lady swung in place behind her, she cancelled the spell and prepared herself to finally stumble into her bed. But it wasn't to be, as suddenly two redheads rose from the sofa by the fireplace and looked at her with a wide smile.

Hermione looked at them in surprise. Had they been waiting for her?

"There you are," George said and in five strides he was right in front of her. "We started wondering if we may have missed you."

"That sounds like you've been waiting up for me," Hermione said with an uncertain smile. "Which is lovely, but totally unnecessary as Professor Snape only has me brewing potions and scrubbing cauldrons for him."

They looked at her with shining eyes. Fred said: "We weren't waiting for you, because we were worried. Georgie and I want to thank you."

"The potions worked then?" she asked with a happy smile. With a grin, they showed her their hands. The skin there was unblemished and smooth and one wouldn't have been able to tell that some hours ago deep red marks covered it. "We didn't feel a thing," George answered with a smile and his brother, who was standing at his side, nodded.

"Maybe you could show us, how to make those potions? Then we could make some more, for tomorrow, you know? There's enough of the numbing one, but the healing potion is gone now." Fred said and looked down at her with a hopeful expression.

Hermione smiled and reached into her robe. For her, it was never a question that she would give Severus' potion to the twins again. "Maybe I can teach you one day. But for now, I have those." She opened her hand and showed the boys the two vials inside. "They're my last ones. So please, try not to get in any more trouble."

For a moment both of them stared at the potions with unblinking eyes, before they silently turned to each other. It was like there was again a silent conversation going on between them because a moment later Fred nodded and turned back to her. With a quick motion, he took the phials out of her hand and handed them over to his twin, before his hands suddenly cupped her cheeks and his lips connected with hers a second later. And then Fred Weasely was kissing her, while his hands held her face and his thumbs caressed her cheeks. His lips were soft and warm and she could feel a bit of stubble on his chin that rasped over her skin. She didn't care though as it felt simply glorious to her. Before she knew what she was doing, she opened her mouth for him with a happy sigh. Fred smiled against her mouth, brushing his tongue against the seam of her lips but pulling back a moment later. Before Hermione could mouth a complaint though, his brother was suddenly in front of her. George looked at her with kind, brown eyes and a happy smile, but she only had a moment to register it, as his lips were on hers a second later. His hands didn't find their way to her cheeks and instead buried themselves into her hair. There his fingers carefully played with her curls, while his lips kissed her mouth over and over again until her lips tingled and were red and swollen. Only then he pulled back and looked at her with a dazed and happy expression.

"Please be our girlfriend, Hermione," he said and sought out her eyes.

A moment later Fred was right at his side, standing shoulder to shoulder with his brother and continued: "We still want you, Hermione and we realized that we don't mind sharing you. We just want to be with you and we don't care how unusual this arrangement might sound to others."

George nodded. "You're brilliant and kind and brave and so much more… and I know we agreed to just be friends, but Merlin that's not what I want. So would you… could you give us a try?"

Hermione stared at them with wide eyes and a heavily beating heart. And just now, when her endorphin-induced daze cleared, she realized what they had just done and what they were asking of her. They wanted her to try being with them, to see if it worked but there was no trying for her without the risk of exposure. And then there was the small fact of her needing a permanent linking partner sooner or later, one linking partner, not two. Which lead her to the same answer she had given them a few weeks ago during their date in Hogsmead. "I can't," she finally said in a silent voice and closed her eyes, to not see their faces. Because she could only imagine how hurt they would be when she first kissed them back only to reject them a moment later. "I wish I could boys, really, but I can't."

None of them said a word at first and Hermione was just about to ask herself, if they had a silent conversation again, when she suddenly felt a pair of hands on her cheeks again. "You're not making any sense, love," George said and when she finally opened her eyes she saw, that he stared at her with confused, sad eyes. "We're not asking for a definite answer or a long-term commitment. We just want to try out if this…" he motioned between the three of them "could work for us. We could even keep it secret for now, if you're afraid the others will judge you."

With his words, he was breaking her heart in tiny little pieces and he didn't even realize what he was doing. It wasn't that she didn't want a long-term commitment, more that she really needed one and there wasn't any room for experimenting for her. But how could she ever explain that to them without giving her secret away? It was impossible and totally unfair, for all of them. Because no matter what she said to get out of this impossible situation, she'd hurt them and probably lose them as a consequence. Was that how Severus had become such a grumpy and closed off man? He too had lied to protect his many secrets and keep himself alive and lost all his friends and loved ones as a consequence. And she realized that she'd have to do the same.

Hermione sighed and before she realized what happened, she could feel the first tear escape her eyes. Before she could stop it, it ran down her cheeks where Fred caught it with his thumb and wiped it away. He looked at her with concerned eyes. "What is it, love? Why can't you be with us?" he asked and touched her forehead with his. "Just tell us. Remember? George and I won't judge, whatever it is."

She swallowed heavily and for a moment she considered just pulling away and fleeing to her dorm, but then she realized that she couldn't do it – any of it. She couldn't lie to them, couldn't lose them, even if that meant to go against everything her mind and Severus were telling her.

Hermione closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. She would most likely regret this decision one day, but right now she didn't care. She needed them, if not as lovers then at least as friends. With a quick nod, she came to a decision and pulled out her wand. A quick succession of privacy spells flew from her lips and she could see Fred and George stare at her in surprise and confusion.

"What's… Hermione… what are you doing?" George asked her and looked around. But when she looked at Fred she could see a flicker of understanding in his eyes. She nodded towards him with a sad smile.

"I need your magical oath that you will not repeat this conversation to anyone," she said and stared at them with a serious expression.

George blinked at her in surprise. "You need an oath? Why?"

She didn't need to answer, because Fred gripped his brother's arm and said: "She's the Link, Georgie. That's why she needs an oath, isn't that right, love?"

Hermione pressed her lips together, looked at them with a pained expression and nodded. "Yeah, it's me. I… you can't tell anyone, please. I need you to swear it."

Fred nodded with an understanding smile and a moment later George followed his example with a grim expression. "Of course," he finally said and pulled out his wand.

He and Fred spoke their oaths without hesitation and their words, which they spoke together, bounced back from the wards she had set up around them. Hermione took in and weighed every one of their words and when they were finished, she breathed a sigh of relieve. It was probably still a mistake to have them know, but at the same time, it felt good to finally have them on her side.

"So you're the Open Link," George repeated and studied her face with a serious expression. "Does anyone except us know?"

Hermione shook her head. She hated lying to them but she could only imagine what Severus would say if she let them in on the other part of her secret. "No. And I don't intend to tell anyone, not even Harry and Ron. And I probably shouldn't have told you either."

Fred sighed. "That's why you obliviated your parents, isn't it?" he asked and gently took her hands into his. "Merlin, how long are you already carrying this weight alone?"

"A while," Hermione replied vaguely and looked at both of them. "Which is fine, really, but I didn't want to lie to you. I just … couldn't. But I hope now you'll understand that there is no try and error for me. I can't just casually date, let alone two guys. I need to find one person to connect myself to, permanently. And even though I have no idea who that should be or how to go about it without having to fear that I am just dated because of my condition…"

At that, George pulled her into his arms. "Oh Merlin, Hermione… I don't know what to say, or how to help you."

She smiled sadly. "That's alright. Just… don't make this situation any more difficult, will you? Being friends is all we can be, no matter how much we wished things could be different. So please, no more kisses that let my knees go weak and make this even more painful than it already is, okay?"

For a moment they looked like they wanted to protest, but after a moment of hesitation, George sighed and nodded. But Fred stepped in front of her with a determined expression on his face. He said: "Alright Hermione, we will talk of this no more just…" with that he pulled her close and into another kiss. This one felt more desperate and messy and it made her heart ache in a very different way than the kisses before. When he pulled away a moment later and stormed out of the room, Hermione realized why: this last kiss was Fred's goodbye.

"So friends, huh?" George said awkwardly and buried his hands into the pockets of his robes.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, friends. It's not what we want, but it's all we have," she said with a resigned sigh.

Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms. "It's alright love, you'll be alright. I'm sure there's a lovely young man out there that just waits to be found by you. And as long as you're still looking for him, Fred and I will protect you. Will you let us do this?"

She looked at him in confusion. "Protect me? How?"

"In any way that is required and if it's just by driving away unwanted suitors, totally unselfishly of course," George said and even though his eyes twinkled Hermione could tell, that he was deadly serious.

sssssss

„It's her, of course, it's her," Fred murmured as soon as he and George crawled in bed together. "We've been idiots to not realize it sooner."

George nodded with a dark expression. "Yeah, suddenly everything fits into the picture. I mean, she took on Snape during a Potions lesson and eared herself a week of detention, which is so unlike her. But her feelings must be running wild at the moment which makes it hard for her to control them."

"Yeah," Fred mumbled and turned to his brother. "Merlin, this sucks. Because there's no way we could ignore this or discuss it away. She can't help what she is or what she needs – and that's not us right now."

George shook his head with an eye roll. "And that's where you're wrong, Freddy. Of course, she needs us, just not the way we want her to. The girl needs every help she can get if she wants to survive the war. Everyone it out to find her right now and I don't want to know, what the toad is planning to do next. How long do you think she will manage on her own?"

"Dunno," his brother shrugged and George could tell that his twin had problems to get over his wounded feelings. "She did alright so far. And there's not much we can do for her right now anyway."

George sighed. "We can be there for her if she needs somebody to talk to. And we can try to protect her when the time comes because when you ask me it's only a matter of weeks or months until shit comes knocking on her door."

Fred buried his face in his hands with a heavy sigh. "Yeah. But still, can you imagine seeing her with somebody else? I just can't… not when I'm feeling like this, Georgie. Don't tell me it wouldn't be the same for you…"

"I'd hate it, this much is sure. But the day will come and then we'll need to be ready. I don't know how we'll manage to do that but going out with someone else probably wouldn't be a bad idea. Not to start something serious, but to finally get our minds off her. We'll have to make the first step to show her we've taken her plea to heart and are giving her some space," George whispered and turned on his back.

His brother snorted in disbelief. "You want us to go on a date? Seriously? Merlin, we just kissed the girl and I'm pretty sure she liked it. I say we lay low for a few weeks and then we can still go on a date if that's what you want. I for my part don't feel like dating at the moment."

George sighed. "Alright. But try to pull yourself together, Freddy. It's not her fault, you know?"

His brother hummed in agreeance and even though there was still a deep scowl on his face, George could feel that his twin knew he was right. It'd just take him some time to admit it.


	29. Chapter 29

A.N.: Hello guys, I hope you all had some good days and are still healthy and in good humour. I am healthy but man, this isolation is starting to get to me. I start asking myself how much longer and it could easily be months. Well, let's get through this together. I appreciate all your comments. They keep cheering me up in these hard times.

Special thanks for this chapter go to Stephanie MRV. Thank you for being my sounding board!

Chapter 29: Wrong decisions

„You're an idiot," Severus said and looked at the girl with a scowl. "But I think I don't have to tell you, as you look like you've realized that yourself. Merlin Hermione, how did you find telling Fred and George Weasley would be a good idea?"

She didn't look at him and stared at her toes instead. It was like the Hermione Granger he had known in the last weeks was suddenly gone and what remained was the frightened, over-achieving student that just realized she had made a gigantic mistake. "I… they asked me to be their girlfriend, to just give it a try and see if it works for us," the girl said silently but still refused to look at him. It was kind of annoying because as much as he sometimes enjoyed terrifying students, he didn't want her to cower like that in front of him.

"Which wasn't an option," he calmly stated and saw her nod in return. "Couldn't you have simply said no? You won't be the first teenage girl rejecting a suitor, you know?"

He saw her bottom lip disappear between her teeth and his fingers twitched with the urge to finally make her look up to him. But he didn't.

"I didn't want to lose them," Hermione told her feet with a sigh. "Not as friends I mean. I now that I'll never be able to tell Harry and Ron, but… I can't do that on my own."

"You wouldn't have been on your own, Hermione, remember? There was always me, but obviously, that's not enough for you, isn't it?" Somehow the hurt he felt had sneaked into his voice and Hermione must have heard it, as her head finally snapped up and she stared at him with wide eyes. It looked like she wanted to say something, to protest, but not a sound escaped her mouth. He shook his head in disappointment. "I thought you understood that sharing your secret would be dangerous. You told me you knew that people would possibly hate you, for what you had to do. But you can't stand to be hated, can't you? You want to be everybody's darling. Well, Miss Granger, let me tell you something: it will break your neck. Trusting the wrong people is what kills you in the end, go and ask Lily and James Potter."

As soon as the words left his mouth he realized, that he shouldn't have said them, even if they were true. He saw the tears well up in her eyes but she also saw her fighting them down again. As if he hadn't already seen her crying or she him. Weren't they already closer than that? Had he been so wrong in the assessment of their friends?

"I'm sorry I disappointed you," the girl finally said and looked at him with sad eyes. "But I'm not stupid, you know? I let them make an oath that they won't tell. I trust them, Severus."

It was like he was experiencing déjà vu. He would lose her too, lose his new best friend to a bunch of Gryffindors again because she had fallen in love - because she trusted them. How long would it be until he held her cold body in his arms until his heart would break again? Merlin, when would he ever learn?

Still, he had to make Hermione see her mistake because obviously, she hadn't quite understood the danger she had put those two love-struck idiots in. And so he grabbed her by the shoulders, shook her and said: "You got an oath? Well, that makes it all better doesn't it? It's not like they could be placed under the Imperious curse right? It's not like one would have to watch their twin being beaten, raped and tortured until they told the truth right? It's not like the Dark Lord could capture one of their family members and hurt them, to tell the truth right?"

She stared back at him with wide, frightened eyes, but Severus had just gotten started with his rant. "How could you possibly be so selfish? You knew this was a burden, to begin with. You said you were willing to make sacrifices to protect yourself and those you love. You had me take away your parents memories for god's sake! Are they so insignificant to you? Do the people who birthed you, raised you and loved you mean less than those boys? You folded easily to them like some love-struck fool! You made yourself an orphan but refuse to lose their friendship? Do you not see how daft you sound?! You placed all the Weasleys in danger, not just those two." Hermione was openly crying now and heavy sobs escaped her mouth while she stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time. She didn't say a word in defence though and he looked at her with a disappointed shake of his head before he continued: "But what really galls me is that you lied to me. You told me you would do your best to keep your secret and then you turn around and spill it for all to hear. I have given you my time, my work and my trust and you threw it all away for a fucking crush!"

Finally, his anger seemed to have somehow vented and he let go of her shoulders to take some steps back. He folded his hands in front of his chest and stared at the girl who cryingly shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she said, taking a step into his direction but he motioned her with his hand to not come closer. He didn't want her near him now.

"You should be. But sorry is not enough. The only person you thought about was yourself: you didn't want to be alone. But I'll tell you what: let's see how far it will bring you, Miss Granger, shall we? But don't come running back to me then, because I'll say: I told you so."

With that, he turned around. He couldn't look at her any longer. Looking at her hurt his heart and he'd had enough of that pain to last him a lifetime.

"You should go, your detention for the rest of the week is cancelled. I'm busy."

He heard her gasp behind him, but he didn't care. He also didn't care when he heard her leave his office with a silent sob. At least that's what he told himself when he retreated to his sofa with a glass of fire whiskey. So why did it hurt so much then?

sssssssss

It was like someone had just turned back the time for her, but only just. Potions classes were as unpleasant as they had been last year as Professor Snape treated her the same as he had back then, if not worse. He hadn't treated her much differently in the last months, but at least then she knew that he didn't mean it. Now she wasn't so sure. Most of the time he simply ignored her now, ignored her raised hand, and simply looked over her like she was not in the classroom. Some days she even wished back his insults as that would have meant at least some reaction by him because as things went she could have simply stayed away from class and she was sure he wouldn't even have complained.

And the worst of it: he had been right with every word. She hadn't only been selfish to tell the twins hr secret, she had also been incredibly foolish, which wasn't like her at all. Usually, Hermione prided herself with being a logical person being able to make logical decisions even though they might be painful. She had done that and sent her parents away. It had hurt, but Severus and also the twins had been there for her. Why hadn't she been able to make a similar decision with Fred and George? Why had she kissed them, to begin with? Would Severus be right in the end? Would this one emotional decision break her neck in the end and probably his too? Because he was Dumbledore's Death Eater spy, a spy that was still linked to her no matter how much he probably regretted that connection now. The link held and Hermione clung to it with everything she had. Severus was her friend, even though she might no longer be his. She wanted to know whenever he was in trouble again and she'd be at his side to help him, no matter how hard he tried to push her away.

And then there were the twins, her brilliant loyal friends. Ever since their fateful meeting in the Common Room they were back to being friends again. None of them ever mentioned to her what happened and even though they did talk to her on a regular basis or made a joke to make her laugh, they mostly kept their distance. Hermione realized, that they probably needed time to get over their feelings as much as she did and that was fine with her. Her heart was aching for them and for what could have or better could never have been, so theirs was probably too. They all needed time to heal and so keeping distance was probably really the wisest choice, even though that meant that she was back to spending most of her time with Ron and Harry. It wasn't a bad thing as both of them were thrilled to have her spend more time with them again. But considering that none of the two was aware of her secret and the persons who were kept their distance right now, Hermione couldn't help but feel lonely nonetheless.

But it wasn't just her problems inside of Hogwarts that worried her. The world outside of the school kept moving on without mercy and the next blow for Hermione came, when the Daily Prophet announced a mass break out in Askaban, with ten escaped Death Eaters, amongst them Bellatrix Lestrange. For a while, Hermione just stared into the newspaper in disbelief because even though such an event should have been indication enough that Harry was not a liar and You-Know-Who was indeed back, the Ministry kept refusing to acknowledge such a thing. Hermione was speechless but above all, she was worried. Because not only did Lord Voldemort try to find the Open Link, he had just gotten himself an army.

ssssssss

He was kneeling on the same, cold marble floor as last time, Severus realized, probably on the exact same spot he had been tortured before. The call had come unexpected, just when he was about to crawl on his sofa with a book and a glass of fire whiskey again. It had been his routine for the lasts days because even though Severus had never been much of a drinker, he felt like he had earned himself that bit of alcohol-induced relaxation. But not today, as his master seemed to have other plans with him.

"Master," he greeted the man who was casually lounging on a black obsidian throne in front of him. "How can I be of service?"

"Well Severussss… It's been days since our last… conversation. Could you find a way to narrow your search for the Open Link further down?"

Severus swallowed. "I could indeed, My Lord. Now there are only seven individuals left on my list but I am unsure how to get more information without seeming overly suspicious to the Headmaster."

"Then you will be relieved to hear, that I will supply you with a fitting occasion for that. Our allies within the Ministry will advise the Minister, that Veritasserum might be a good way of gathering that sort of information. You see, our Dear Cornelius had gotten more and more desperate to finally meet the Open Link. And therefore he might be willing to loosen the regulations concerning the use of Veritasserum on students." The Dark Lord's voice had taken on an almost amused undertone which led Severus to finally look up at the man. And really, Lord Voldemort almost looked smug, well as much as it was possible when one's face resembled the one of a gigantic snake.

Severus nodded. "Being able to question the brats under Veritasserum might be exactly what we need, my Lord. But what if I will not be allowed to take part in the questioning?"

"You will," Lord Voldemort replied in a tone that spoke of certainty. "As the Ministry's supply on Veritasserum will sadly be found wanting, you'll have to be the one supplying the High Inquisitor with the potion, which will make your presence indispensable, I fear. Of course, the Ministry will be afraid of its lackey to be outnumbered, so Lucius will be suggested to the Minister as a trustworthy ally for the interrogation."

Severus forced himself to smile amusedly. "Which will come in handy as soon as we've found the Open Link. Just a quick Obliviation and she won't be any wiser."

The snake-like man in front of him nodded. "Indeed. And we'll finally be able to take the next step, once we got that Open Link. See that you stock up your supply on Veritasserum, my loyal servant."

Severus nodded. "As my Lord commands," he replied with a deep bow. But inwardly he cursed. It was a good plan, ruthless but it could work, which would make it all the more difficult for him to get out of this mess alive and still protect the girl. Lucius would watch his every step because even if the man was his friend, he was first and foremost a Slytherin who wanted to stand at the winning side, which made him the Dark Lord's loyal servant in the actual situation.

sssssssss

"You look like you're going to fall asleep on your Porridge," Ron said spooning more ham and eggs into his mouth. It had been six weeks now, six incredibly long weeks since Hermione had kissed the twins and things with Severus had fallen to pieces, six weeks of trying to talk to him only to be ignored or sent away. Hermione was tired, not just emotionally but also she could barely sleep at night as she was constantly worried about him needing her help without her being able to feel it. Apart from being discovered as an Open Link, it was her biggest worry these days and it kept her awake until she finally fell into a restless slumber.

"Hermione?" she heard Harry's voice ask her and her eyes snapped open. Merlin, she had almost fallen asleep in the middle of the breakfast table.

"Sorry, boys I think I'm not feeling very well," Hermione answered with an apologizing smile. "I think I'm just going to…"

"Hem hem." Hermione didn't get any further, as her words were suddenly interrupted by Dolores Umbridge clearing her throat. When Hermione looked up to her she had risen from the teacher's table and stared down at them with glinting eyes and a worryingly radiant smile. "Good morning everybody. Unfortunately for everybody, the Open Link has still not been found." She let her eyes roam through the Great Hall and as her eyes landed on her, Hermione could feel a frightful shiver run down her spine. This was going to get ugly. She just knew it.

"It has been months and the Ministry has come to the conclusion that said person is deliberately hiding in the hope of not being discovered. This is a dangerous decision though as the Ministry is not able to protect the said person, as long as it is not aware of their identity."

Dolores Umbridge studied them with a raised chin like she was waiting for somebody to stand up and confess to being the Open Link. Hermione heard Harry snorting next to her. "Protecting as they had done with Lavender Brown?" he whispered and rolled his eyes. "No thank you."

Ron sitting across from him nodded. "Yeah. No one would be stupid enough to believe in their promised protection. I don't understand why he or she hasn't sought out Dumbledore's help though."

Hermione shrugged. She knew the answer of course, but she couldn't share it with her two friends. Luckily Umbridge felt like she had to continue her little speech and so there was no time for Harry and Ron to wonder about her staying silent on the matter.

"Even if the Open Link might not feel the need right now, the Link must finally be sealed. Only then our world can finally be safe again and return to the normality we all wish for. Therefore the Minister and I have come to the conclusion that it is best if we question all students from 5th year and above as well as the teachers under Veritasserum."

Hermione wasn't the only one who gasped at her words, as many students around her did.

"They can't do that!" Ron loudly protested and got to his feet, while all around them agitated murmuring erupted on the house tables.

"Veritasserum is a strongly regulated substance," Professor McGonagall protested and got to her feet. "Wizarding law says that it is only to be used for the interrogation of criminals, not for a systematic questioning of students that mostly aren't even of age!"

"That is true," Umbridge admitted with an unsettling smile. "But you will have to agree that this situation is requiring a special course of action, as normal approaches have been fruitless for far too long. Therefore you will find that regular law is no longer applying in this unusual situation."

Hermione felt like she was going to be sick. How was she supposed to escape a questioning under Veritasserum? Merlin, this was bad. She knew from her recent potions lesson, that the stuff was almost infallible and that there was no antidote to it. So what was she supposed to do? Inevitably her eyes were drawn to Severus, who sat on the teacher's table, his features schooled to a mask of indifference. But just as she was about to look away, his eyes finally focussed on her with his brows raised in challenge. And even if his mouth didn't form the words, Hermione suddenly remembered what he had said to her when she had last spoken to him. Yes, he had been right. Confiding into the twins had been a bad idea. What would happen to them, when they revealed her secret under Veritasserum, even though they had given an oath? Would there be some sort of backlash or magical punishment for them? Merlin, this was bad. How was she supposed to protect them, when she didn't even know how to protect herself? God, she wished she could just run to his office and beg him for help like she had done so many times in the past already. No matter how difficult the problem was, he had always been there for her and found a way to get her through. With him as a friend, she had been given more help than she could have dreamed of only to ruin it with her stupidity and selfishness. Now he would no longer help her, Severus would no longer even talk to her no matter how often she waited after class or came to his office in the evening. It was always the same now. He looked at her with thin lips and a disappointed glint in his eyes before simply turning around without even saying a word to her. And Hermione couldn't help but realize that she had lost the best friend she could have wished for – probably forever.

Hermione's eyes snapped back to the Gryffindor table and searched for her red-haired friends. They were sitting a bit further down the table and talked to each other in quick, hushed tones. Maybe she could try to obliviate them in the evening? They couldn't betray a secret they no longer knew.

"Hem hem." Umbridge's throat-clearing brought her back from her thoughts and a moment later Hermione found the students around her fall silent and look at the short woman with wide, frightened eyes. "There is no need for you to panic, dear students. The Ministry will only ask questions concerning the identity of the Open Link, nothing more. You, therefore, don't need to be concerned about your personal secrets, when you are led to the interrogation room later today."

Hermione gasped. They were doing this today? How was she supposed to find a way out of this in a matter of hours? Then she realized that this was probably the point. The Ministry was determined to find the Open Link and Hermione had no way of stopping them, not in a matter of hours. If she could only find a way to talk to Severus… Hermione sighed, because, he'd probably just say: "I told you so."

sssssssss

"What about Nosebleed-Nougat?" Fred said when he and George strolled down the corridor on the way to their first lesson of the day.

His brother shook his head. "We've done that once too often already, as have several other students. Umbridge will never buy it, as she has confiscated more than enough of our stuff. She'd probably just call for Madam Pomphrey and get on with the questioning afterwards."

"Probably," Fred agreed with a grim expression. "So what else can we do? There has to be something. We can't just let this happen…"

George sighed. "Apart from running away with Hermione, there isn't much we can do I guess. Even though that would definitely reveal her secret and where would we even go? Not only the Ministry would be looking for us then…"

His brother looked at him with a thoughtful expression and with a grab of his hand, he pulled him into a stop. "That's actually not such a bad idea, Georgie. How do you feel about ending your Hogwarts career early, brother?"

George looked at his twin with wide eyes. "Early as in today?"

Fred nodded. "If we're quick we can pack up everything from the lab and our dorm in under an hour. What do you say?"

"They'll think it's us and try to hunt us down, Freddy…" George warned his brother with a serious expression.

The older twin nodded. "Then let them try. We have Harry's money. And we're brilliant, right? They'll never find us… well, or at least not for a while."

George didn't answer right away. Instead, he weighed his head thoughtfully from one side to the other. "Well, we did promise to protect Hermione and if we leave with a big enough show that might be enough for them to cancel their Veritasserum questioning…"

"See?" Fred said with a nervous grin? "It's brilliant! And let's be honest with ourselves, it's the only plan we have and time is kind of running out."

His brother snorted. "It's a shitty plan, Fred. But at least we'll have each other. So you and me, huh?"

Fred clapped his shoulder with a grin. "Yeah Georgie, you and me."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Hide and seek

Now it was just a matter of a few hours until Dolores would finally know who the Open Link was. That brat had given her a runaround long enough but not any longer. If the Open Link didn't want to come to her, she would have to apply a bit more force. It was only for their best, after all, even though that stupid teenager would probably not see that right away. But sometimes one had to be forced into one's happiness, right? And it wasn't like she intended to hurt the Open Link, so there was nothing anybody could complain about.

Lunch in the Great Hall started as a silent affair. Dolores could tell right away that most teachers were not impressed with her, especially McGonagall. The woman was Dumbledore's lap-dog or better lap-cat and so it was only natural that she bristled when her idol's position was threatened by someone cleverer and more determined than him. It wasn't like Gryffindor's Head of the House could actually do something as Dolores' orders came right from the Minister of Magic himself, which meant that the Hogwarts staff had to stand by and watch her victory. First, she had to get through dinner though and some of the students and Professors were staring at her like they were hoping she would choke on a potato. But Dolores endured their sour looks with a victorious little smile before she took a careful sip of pumpkin juice. These interrogations would probably go on for the rest of the day so she better made sure that she was well fed. Who knew when she'd have time for another meal once the Open Link was finally in their possession?

She had just sliced the first bit of meat and wanted to put it into her mouth when the doors to the Great Hall suddenly banged open, a pair of well-known pranksters flying in on their brooms. With their robes billowing behind them in the air they flew right into the middle of the room, where they stopped grinning down at teachers and students alike.

"Fred and George Weasley!" Professor McGonagall shrieked to her right and stared at them with wide eyes. But whatever punishment their Head of the House would try to bestow on them, Dolores would claim the right to punish them herself. And she would thoroughly enjoy it. "What do you think you're doing?" McGonagall went on with her scolding. "You know very well that flying your brooms inside the school is strictly forbidden for students of this school! Have you lost your minds? Come down in this instant!"

"Well, that's the thing Professor," one of them replied grinning down at her. "We're no longer students of this school."

The other one nodded. "We quit. Things around here have gotten quite unpleasant lately…"

"…and we're really no fan of taking highly restricted potions against our will. We prefer drinking our own ones." Watching them talk while they switched back and forth between them made her head spin. It was like watching a tennis match. Nevertheless, the message had immediately sunken in. They didn't want to drink the Veritasserum - they would leave school in the hope to avoid drinking it, which could only mean that they knew something or one of them was, in fact, the Open Link himself.

She couldn't let them escape, Dolores decided, pulling her wand out of the pockets of her pink robe. Luckily there was no way these teenagers could escape a hall full of students and teachers. "Incarcerous," she whispered and saw the ropes flying from the tip of her wand. It was like the twins had anticipated her move though, as both of them simply moved their brooms aside with a cheeky grin.

"Thanks for helping us make a point, Professor," one of them shouted waving down to the students.

"…and realizing that our future isn't lying in the academic sector at all. We prefer a more hands-on approach." The other redhead had barely finished the sentence throwing something into the air and a moment later a ray of fireworks exploded with a loud bang. Those weren't regular fireworks though, as several of them finally formed a huge dragon that suddenly rushed down towards her with its mouth wide open. But before the beast could reach her, the Headmaster banned it with an experienced wand-motion.

"I adjure you not to do anything rash, gentlemen," he said and looked up at them with blue piercing eyes. "I can assure you, that you are quite safe at this school, whereas the world outside these halls is just waiting for you to make a mistake. You will not be expelled if you agree to come down and accompany me to my office. We can find a way to protect you, both of you if that's what you wish."

For a moment the boy's eyes flickered towards the Headmaster and Dolores could have sworn that they at least considered his offer. "Sorry Headmaster, but that's not going to work. Georgie and I do love our freedom and we're not going to be locked up to stay protected," the feistier one of them replied with a bold grin and threw another bunch of fireworks into the air. This time they formed a huge phoenix-like creature that again swooped down at her. Just when she tried to ban it, as the Headmaster had done it, the creature exploded in a mass of bright dazzling lights only for the room to be engulfed in complete darkness a moment later.

Umbridge heard someone to her right curse but she didn't have time to contemplate who it was, as she suddenly felt herself being enclosed by something wet and slimy. Unable to see she leapt from her chair with a disgusted shriek only to feel something cold splash next to her on the floor. "Get me those boys!" she yelled into the darkness and she could hear hasty movements to her left. But when one of the other teachers finally managed to light the room again, those infamous redheads were gone as well as the Headmaster himself.

"No!" she cried and tried to move towards the doors of the Great Hall. When she tried making the first step she had to realize though, that her feet were firmly stuck on the ground, as there was some sort of green slime surrounding them from her knees downwards. With another shout of anger, she tried banishing the stuff but without success. Every spell that hit the green mass only made it grow and it wasn't long until she was stuck from her hip downwards. "Arrrgh! Idiots! Help me!" Dolores shouted again but by now the room around her had erupted into chaos. Students were running around, shouting, laughing and the teachers tried to install the order again. No one even looked into her direction, no matter how loud she cried for help. She couldn't believe that the next potential Open Link was just about to slip through her fingers and she could only stand by and watch.

ssssssss

Idiots, Severus thought while storming towards his potions classroom. What did they think they were doing, running away after causing such a ruckus during lunch? It was obvious that they were trying to get away from the questioning, but now not only the Ministry and the Dark Lord would be after them, but Dumbledore was also right on their toes and it would only be a matter of minutes until he brought them back with a grandfatherly twinkle in his eyes. Then he would bring them to his office and wring the truth from their heads. The Headmaster was a skilled Legillimens himself and it wouldn't take him long to find out about the girl, Hermione.

But the Headmaster getting them into his fingers was still better than the Dark Lord capturing them. He had been merciful with the Brown-girl but with the Weasleys, he would know that their deception had been deliberate and as the Weasleys weren't particularly popular with the purebloods, there would be nothing to save those boys. Not that he cared about them in particular, no, they were just another bunch of brash, boisterous Gryffindor idiots without an inch of subtlety. But he had been wrong about them, had been convinced they'd betray Hermione and even though their actions could still mean the girl's downfall they had still tried to protect the girl.

Well, there was nothing he could do for them now and probably nothing he could do for the girl any longer. But he had to try because the Dark Lord would skin him if we was just sitting here twiddling his thumbs.

"Today's lesson is cancelled," be bellowed towards the little second year students waiting in the hallways for him. The kids looked at him with wide eyes and hastily scurried out of his way when he hurried past them. "Away with you, I've got better things to do today," he sneered and the first brats already hurried away from the classroom. Good. Now he had the rest of the day to search for those hot-headed idiots. He could only hope that he'd be able to find them before the others did because a well-placed Oblivition spell was probably his only way out of this mess.

ssssssss

"I can't believe it was them all along," Ron said for the hundredth time this evening, while they were sitting together in the Common Room. "Why wouldn't they have told us? Or agreed to accept Dumbledore's help? I'm sure he would have protected them."

Hermione knew why. Neither Fred nor George was the Open Link, after all. They just tried to protect her from this mess by focusing all attention on them. It had worked. There's wasn't any questioning under Veritasserum today and there would be none until the two of them could be found and questioned. That's at least would a sour-faced Umbridge had told them during dinner.

"You heard them," Hermione replied looking up from her book. "and more importantly, you know your brothers, Ron. Can you imagine them having a permanent bodyguard or being locked up somewhere safe? They would be as bad as Sirius is, locked up in that terrible house."

"I know," Ron replied with a grumble. "But god, I can't help being worried about them."

"Me too," she agreed, putting her arm around him. "They just painted a large target onto their backs, before leaving the security of the castle. Merlin knows where they're now."

But that was the point. Hermione didn't know and she couldn't help feeling guilty for what they had to do because she had dragged them with her into this mess. By running away, they had bought her time, yes, but at what price? Would they pay for her security with their lives in the end? Or their sanity? And what would happen to the rest of the Weasley family? Were they now in danger, too? Because she wouldn't put it behind the Dark Lord or his Death Eaters to get to the twins through their family. That's why she let her own parents leave the country, after all. If something happened to any of them, Hermione wasn't sure if she could ever forgive herself. Severus had been right. She had been an idiot for letting them in on her secret. Whatever happened to them, it would be her fault.

ssssssss

"Well Severus, by the look on your face you haven't found them either, have you?" Dumbledore said looking at him with a tired expression on his face.

The Potions Professor closed the distance to the Headmaster's desk with three long strides and let himself sink on the cushioned chair in front of it. "No, there's no sign of them. I asked around with several of my contacts in the shadier parts of London and checked all the Inns that they could have gone to. They're nowhere."

"Molly and Arthur haven't heard of them either," the Headmaster added with a grim expression. "I did have some hope concerning the Weasley family clock, as it is enchanted with a powerful tracking charm, but apart from showing them being in mortal peril there's nothing to gain from it."

Severus gave a humourless snort. "Those two are much cleverer than we gave them credit for. They shouldn't even have been able to leave the school. You were right behind them, weren't you?"

"Unfortunately those two are like devils on a broom and they know the castle probably better than the Marauders have. And even if it pains me to admit it, old friend, we're all getting older, even I," the old man behind the desk said and a bit of the twinkle was back in his eyes. He obviously hadn't given up and Severus realized that as long as the Dark Lord didn't find them, there was still hope.

Another snort escaped Severus' nose. "That, we are. But getting older makes us wise and wisdom is something those two are clearly lacking. Short-sighted idiots."

"The short-sightedness of youth is something, we're probably all guilty of, my friends. We've all made our mistakes and paid for them, you did and so did I. Let's just hope those two boys are not paying theirs with their lives. It would be a terrible loss for us, to lose the Open Link."

Severus sighed. For a moment he had almost thought, that the Headmaster actually cared about the Weasleys. But all that man cared about was the loss of another chess-piece in that game he was playing and wasn't that a sobering realisation? That man would never care for more than the greater good, whatever that may be in his eyes and Severus couldn't help but despise the man for it.

"What will you be doing now, Headmaster?" he asked and looked at the man with a neutral expression. Years of Occlumency practise had luckily taught him how to keep his emotions in check in front of the Headmaster.

"I'll keep looking for them, of course. Maybe I'll invite young Ronald for tea, or even Miss Granger. They seem to have gotten closer, lately. What do you think?"

Severus shrugged. "You can try, but don't get your hopes up. Try Grimmauld Place instead or check with their older brothers. One of them is currently in Romania, I believe. Maybe they decided to pay him a visit."

"Not a bad idea," Dumbledore replied while thoughtfully stroking his chin. "Leaving the country wasn't something I considered they could have done but you're right of course. In their eyes, it's probably the safest option."

The Potions Master nodded. He could only hope that the terrible two had indeed been that wise. Because otherwise, it was only a matter of time until they were found. The question was by whom.

ssssssss

Hermione couldn't sleep. Every time she tried she saw Fred's and George's face in front of her, but not with a huge smile like she was used to, but with several bruises and lifeless eyes. It would be her fault if they died, she thought over and over again. Only because she didn't want to lose them she had suddenly decided to spill the beans and in retrospect, she realized how selfish she had been. What had become of her during those last months and weeks? She had been afraid of becoming like Severus, being alone and without friends because she had to push everyone away. But now she realized that it would have never been like this. She would always have had him at her side, but now she not even had that any longer.

It was no use lying around in her bed and staring at the ceiling like that. Her thoughts were running in circles and somehow she couldn't help but feel trapped in her dorm. She needed out, needed some air and so she decided to do a spontaneous Prefect-round through the castle. A flick of her wand transfigured her pyjamas back into her school robes with an additional jumper below. The castle could be cold at this time of the year, especially at night.

It wasn't long until she strolled through the empty halls of the school, leaving the sleeping portrait of the Fat Lady behind her. And really, the bit of exercise helped her to clear her mind and finally take a deep breath. The halls of the castle were empty at this time of the night, Hermione realized, as not even Filch or Miss Norris crossed her path. She just wanted to turn around to return to her rooms, when suddenly a large hand appeared from behind and covered her mouth. Hermione wanted to whip around, but whoever held her in place was stronger and held her firmly in place. She cursed inwardly.

"Stop struggling Hermione," an urgent voice whispered into her ear. "It's us, Fred and George."

And it was true. Hermione would have known that voice anywhere.

"Fred? George?" she asked them after turning around with wide eyes. And really, here they were, standing in front of her with a nervous grin and a twinkle in their brown eyes.

"In person," they said in unison and nodded.

"Come to the lab with us," George continued. "It's too dangerous for us, out here in the corridors."

Hermione looked at them with wide eyes and a searing hart, as the pictures of their mangled bodies reappeared before her inner eye. "You can't just come to the castle, boys. It's too dangerous for you here now. Please, just go and be safe. I've brought you into enough trouble as it is."

Fred and George looked at her with a smile, while shaking their heads in unison. "Don't worry about it."

Then George stepped closer and tried to take her hand, but Hermione hastily took a step back. He said: "Please, Hermione. Come to the lab with us and we'll tell you everything, we swear."

She sighed, but finally she gave in and nodded with a serious expression. "Alright. I'll come with you. But I swear, this story better be a good one as coming here was so dangerous."

Fred sent her a boyish grin. "Don't worry, love. We've got everything under control." Hermione sighed. She could only hope that he was right in that estimation, but after the lesson she had painfully learned during her own mistakes, his words only sounded to her like Gryffindor-recklessness.

It was a short way into their lab and Hermione would probably have found it in her sleep. Ever since the twins had shown her the place, Hermione had seen the statue of the three-eyed troll with different eyes as she now knew what was hidden behind. But the twin's lab had changed since her last visit a few weeks ago, as it now held two makeshift beds and two suitcases in addition to their equipment. Hermione stared at the stuff with wide eyes.

"Don't tell me you're staying here," she said even though the answer was fairly obvious.

The boys shrugged grinningly. "Hogwarts is the safest place in wizarding Britain," George said and slowly sat down on his bed.

"And it's the last place they'll be looking for us after they saw us fly out of the castle," Fred finished for him with a smirk.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. This is a bad idea, in so many ways.

"So you flew out, just to sneak back in? You used a secret passage, didn't you?" They nodded with a proud grin. She sighed. Even though it kind of made sense, she still couldn't quite wrap her head around it. "But you said you didn't want to be locked up. You'll have to hold out in that room for the whole day. What if you need the bathroom? And where do you get something to eat? Don't tell me you want me to steal something from the Great Hall, because I can tell you: somebody will notice."

"Don't worry about the food," George said motioning his head to a large pile of food on one of the tables. "We prepacked enough to bring us through the next days. After that we'll think of something."

Hermione could only shake her head about their carelessness. She couldn't help the feeling, that to them this was just a long game of hide and seek. Didn't they see what was at stake?

Fred looked at her with a nervous smile, when there was no answer from her. "And about the other thing: we know that you can disillusion yourself. Maybe you could teach us, considering the circumstances."

After everything they had done for her, Hermione had to take care of them. Being able to disillusion themselves was probably really an important tool to keep them safe. It was in her best interest for those two not to get caught, after all. But then she remembered all the trouble those two had gotten themselves into in the last years and their little stunt with the nosebleed nougat hadn't really helped to make her see their maturity. She sighed. " I'll teach you. But you still need to be careful. You only leave the room when it is absolutely necessary and never during break-time or whenever there's lots of students in the corridors. You can't get caught under no circumstances, do you hear me? This is not some sort of game."

"We promise we'll be careful," Fred replied looking at her with serious, brown eyes. "We know what's at stake. And you need us to keep an eye on you, right?" He winked at her.

George nodded. "If you need help, you know where to find us, alright?"

"Alright," Hermione agreed with a tired shake of her head. "Now, before I teach you this spell, there's probably something else I can do for you. Dobby?"

It was only a moment until the batty-eared house-elf appeared in front of them. "Harry Potter's friend called for Dobby, Miss?"

Hermione looked at the elf with a gentle smile on her lips. "I did. Dobby, these are Fred and George. They are very good friends of Harry too, you see?"

Dobby nodded. "Dobby is pleased to meet you, Messrs Weasley."

The twins looked at him with a wide smile. "The pleasure is all ours."

The house-elf looked at them with wide eyes. It was still alien to him, that wizards treated him with kindness. Hermione sighed. Maybe he and the twins would be good for each other because if the little elf agreed to help them, they'd be seeing quite a lot of each other.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Consequences

Life seemed to somehow slow down for Hermione. After nearly being discovered by Umbridge and the ministry and after the twin's last-minute intervention the following weeks felt somehow... boring, but in a very good way. Umbridge's lessons were cancelled immediately after Fred and George were seen leaving the castle and after the High Inquisitor had finally managed to free herself from whatever Fred and George had thrown at her, she was no longer to be seen at Hogwarts coming the next day. If the twins had still been around that fact alone would have made them the new Hogwarts heroes, because apparently, no one could stand the chubby, smiling School Counsellor. Apart from that, no one complained about another free period during the week, not even Hermione. Umbridge's lessons in emotional and attachment study had been a hoax, to begin with, and she had the feeling that by now she knew more about her condition, that anyone from the Ministry would ever be able or at least willing to teach her. Apart from that, the OWLs were getting closer and closer after all and so she was happy to squeeze as much studying time into her daily routine as possible.

"Gah!" A cry from Harry pulled her out of her thoughts. They had just settled down in the common room after finishing dinner and Hermione was about to get out the new notebook she had prepared for revising Transfiguration when her friend suddenly toppled over and held his forehead. Hermione and Ron stared at each other with wide eyes.

"Harry, mate! What's wrong?" Ron asked in a slightly panicked voice and crouched next to the other boy on the floor. But Harry didn't seem to hear him and instead held his head while whimpering silently on the floor. Luckily the fit only lasted for half a minute as Harry opened his eyes, just when Hermione was about to run to Professor McGonagall's office.

"Merlin Harry, you scared the shit out of us," Ron mumbled wide-eyed and offered his best friend a hand to help him up. But Harry quickly pulled himself up with a grunt, looking at his two best friends with a scared expression.

"Voldemort's got Sirius," he whispered urgently. "I've seen it. They're somewhere in the Ministry, I think in the Department of Mysteries and… and he's torturing him."

Hermione looked at her friend with a confused blink. "Are you sure, Harry? I mean, it's not that late in the evening… somebody would have surely noticed, right?"

Ron weighed his head and looked back and forth between the two like he was torn what to think. Harry stared at him with a desperate expression. "Please, I know what I've seen. It's like it was with your dad, Ron. We need to go, we need to help him before it's too late."

She sighed. "Alright. Let's go to Professor McGonagall, then. She's a member of the Order and you said she also helped you the last time, right?"

The boys nodded enthusiastically. "Right," Ron said and leapt to his feet. "Let's go then. We better not lose any time."

Hermione agreed. She hadn't been there when Harry's first vision happened, but when Sirius was really in danger they needed to hurry. Professor McGonagall would surely know what to do and luckily her office was not far so that they reached it only a minute later. But when they knocked, they found the door closed.

"Where could she be?" Hermione asked and looked down the hallway with wide eyes. "She's been at dinner, so she can't be out of the castle. Should I look for her? Or should we go to the Headmaster instead?"

Harry shook his head in agitation. "There's no time, Hermione. The castle is huge and McGonagall could be anywhere. And Dumbledore's not even at Hogwarts right now. He hasn't been there during dinner, like most days, since the twins disappeared. Bet, he's still looking for them."

She cursed. "But there needs to be something we could do."

"We can go to the Ministry ourselves and check," her black-haired friend replied, deadly serious. "I mean, the only other person from the Order is Snape and it's not like we could ask him for help. And even if we did, until we're down at the dungeons and convinced him that I'm telling the truth, Sirius is probably dead or has lost his mind. We need to go and help him now."

"He's right Mione," Ron replied with a shrug. " 's not like Sirius could withstand the Cruciatus very long, without being hurt permanently. If we want to help him we'll need to be fast."

Hermione sighed. This whole situation was a mess. They couldn't just storm into the Ministry on their own and take on Voldemort themselves. They were just a bunch of fifth-graders for god's sake. "Alright," she said taking a deep breath. "We'll go. This is probably breaking a hundred school rules, but taking the Floo should be the safest and fastest option."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, right. The fireplace in the Common Room isn't connected to the network though. Only the Heads of the Houses and the Headmaster do have their fireplaces connected to it."

The three of them stared at each other before their eyes shifted to McGonagall's closed office door. Hermione sighed. "Well, if we're already breaking about a hundred rules, one more doesn't matter, I guess."

The boys nodded. "Probably not."

Before Hermione could say another word, Harry had already cast the unlocking spell. Hermione was surprised it actually worked, as Severus would have had several other wards in place. But the man was the most careful person Hermione knew and it was probably born through his position as Dumbledore's Death Eater spy, even though the man's dark past surely also played a role. Hermione sighed. Thinking about Severus and the silence from him still hurt and it didn't help that Hermione understood why he was keeping his distance from her. She had made a mistake and the twins had almost paid for her stupidity. But was that reason enough to suddenly cut all ties with her? Had she hurt him that badly that he could not forgive her?

"Wait," Hermione called out when she saw the boys rush to the fireplace. She had been rash a few weeks ago, but she wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Severus had drilled that into her a few weeks ago. "Harry, please. Just make a quick floo-call to Grimmauld Place to see, if Sirius is really not there. If he isn't, I swear I'll come with you and help you find him. But we need to make sure this isn't just some sort of trap, okay?"

At first, Hermione thought Harry would refuse, but after a minute of hesitation, he agreed with a sigh. Hermione let him make the floo-call on his own, as her head was already starting to formulate a plan. No matter how they put it, it would be suicide to take on the Dark Lord on their own. Harry had done it in the past and survived, yes, but there was too much at stake to gamble with their lives, not even for Sirius.

When Harry pulled his head out of the flames a minute later, he looked at her with an ashen face. "He's not there," he said with a dark expression and a note of impatience in his voice. "There was only Kreacher and he said, Sirius has gone out hours ago."

Ron cursed and said: "Alright, let's go then." He just wanted to step into the flames, when Hermione held him back once more.

"Just a moment. We can't go there alone, boys. It would be suicide," she urged them and conjured a quill and a bit of paper. She used it to hastily write a note. She folded it, got up and called: "Dobby!"

The little elf appeared in front of them with wide eyes. "Miss Hermione called Dobby?"

Hermione nodded, while she saw Harry and Ron look at the elf with wide eyes. "Dobby, please go and get our friends. Tell them it'ss an emergency and they're to bring their wands. Afterwards, go and give this to Professor Snape. Tell him it's urgent. Make him read the message, no matter what it takes. Can you do this Dobby?"

The little elf nodded with flopping ears. "Dobby will do as Miss Hermione asks," he said and disappeared with a silent plop. The boys shook their heads in confusion.

"Who did you just call for?" Ron asked her with his forehead in wrinkles. "Who would be mad enough to break into the Ministry with us?"

But Hermione didn't even have time for an answer, as Dobby appeared with Fred and George in tow only a moment later. "Hermione? What's wrong?"

Fred asked her and stared at the three of them and McGonagall's office with concern. Ron gaped at him in speechless silence.

"Voldemort 's got Sirius," Harry hastily explained totally unfazed by the sudden appearance of the lost twins. "He's torturing them and we're going to safe him. Will you help us?"

Fred and George looked at each other before they turned back to the three of them. "You want to break into the Ministry? Though McGonagall's Floo?"

The three of them nodded.

"Brilliant!" the twins chorused and looked at them with an excited smile. "Lead the way then. We're right behind you."

ssssssss

There was never a question if Fred and George would follow Hermione and the others into the Ministry. They weren't totally sure what went wrong and how those three knew about Sirius being tortured, but they trusted Hermione's judgement and apart from that Harry had saved their father some weeks ago and it probably had been an equally chaotic situation.

When they reached the entrance hall of the Ministry, the place was totally empty. Most of the Ministry workers had probably gone home already but considering that Sirius was being tortured somewhere deeper in the Ministry without anyone noticing, they weren't surprised.

"Alright. Where do we go?" George asked and pulled out his wand.

"Department of Mysteries," Harry replied hastily, already turning into the direction of the elevators. The four friends followed him with a determined nod. But as soon as the doors of the elevator closed behind them Fred said: "Alright Harry, here's the point. If Sirius is being tortured by You-Know-Who, then he's probably expecting company sooner or later. Maybe it's even a trap. That's why I'm voting for some sort of stealth. I say we disillusion ourselves before we go any further."

Hermione nodded with a determined expression. "Good idea," she agreed and already cast the charm on herself. Their little brother looked at her with wide eyes. "Bloody hell Mione, is there any spell you're not able to cast?" he asked and even though Fred could not see her face, he thought that she was probably rolling her eyes.

"There's a lot of spells I'm unable to cast, Ronald," she replied evenly before murmuring the spell once more and casting it on Harry. The twins smirked and cast the disillusionment on themselves.

"Bloody hell, you learned the spell, too?" Their little brother asked once more staring into the now seemingly empty elevator. "This is bloody advanced magic. Don't tell me Hermione taught you."

Fred grinned, even though Ron would not be able to see. "Alright, then we're not telling you that Hermione taught us. Feeling better now?"

George snorted next to him before he recast the spell on Ron. It was right in time, as the elevator came to a halt a moment later and a pleasant female voice announced their arrival in the Department of Mysteries. Fred took a deep breath. "Alright, guys. This is probably going to get ugly. We'll take each other's hands, so we're not losing each other. Harry, you're taking the lead."

"Alright," their black-haired friend agreed before they patted the air in the hope to find each other's hands. It wasn't easy and going by Hermione's squeak to his right somebody had just found a body part, he'd better left alone.

"Sorry Mione," he heard his brother's hasty apology and rolled his eyes. Of course, it had been him who got lucky, Fred thought.

"Alright, everybody got at least one partner now?" George asked somewhere in front of him and a murmur of agreeance followed. "Good. Harry? Off you go."

George felt a tug on his arm and followed the others out of the elevator. Their way through the Department would make a good story, if they ever got the chance to retell it: a room full of spinning doors, one full of brains that were held in different containers, a room containing a spooky veil, one holding a vast collection of time-turners and lastly the Room of Prophecies – their destination. But that's where things went south because Sirius Black was not there. Instead, a whole bunch of Death Eaters seemed to patrol the halls and seemingly waiting for them.

"It's a trap," Fred whispered urgently and pulled his group of friends into a deserted hallway. "We need to get out."

But it was too late. The large double-winged doors of the room suddenly banged shut and another group of Death Eaters appeared in the hallways. "They're heeeeeeere," a female voice singsonged and moved into their direction with swaying hips. "I can smell your fear, sneaky little rats." Fred stared at the scene with his heart heavily beating in his ribcage. That was bad, really bad, as he and his friends were clearly outnumbered. He could spot at least seven Death Eaters, probably more. There was no way a bunch of Hogwarts students could survive a direct encounter with such a number of Death-Eaters that were well-trained in killing other people. That only left the indirect approach.

"We need to take out as many as we can from behind," George whispered to his right. "Let's wait for the group in the middle. I take the left one, Freddy you take the right one. The rest of you take out the two in the middle. As soon as they're down we need to run to the doors, alright?"

There was no answer but the others communicated their approval of the plan by pressing his hand. A moment later Fred felt another tug on his hand, which gave him the sign, that they started moving. It was now or never.

"Stupefy!" Fred murmured, after silently pulling his wand out of his sleeve. His spell squarely hit it target into the back, sending it unconsciously to the ground a moment later.

"They're here!" they heard the woman scream again and saw her turning into their direction. Just then another stunner flew towards the Death Eaters and took out another one of them. Only a moment later their disillusionment was suddenly cancelled, right in time to see Hermione throw another spell towards their enemies. It was blocked with a lazy wand motion from the woman in the middle of the group, who was no other than Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Well my friends, look who's been stupid enough to set a foot into our little trap," she said and as she didn't wear a mask like the others did Fred could see her lips forming a mocking smile. "If that isn't the Open Link in the company of Baby Potter himself. The Dark Lord will be pleased if we're getting him all of you in one go."

Fred cursed, immediately throwing a blasting curse into her direction. They needed to take those two down before the other Death Eaters arrived to fuel their ranks. Luckily the other's seemed to have gotten the same idea, as another set of curses flew into the Death Eater's direction, taking another one out as he was hit by three spells simultaneously.

"Idiots! Get the twins and Potter and kill the other ones!" Bellatrix screamed before a killing curse left the tip of her wand. With wide eyes Fred saw it flying in his little brother's direction, only to be reflected by a magical shield right in front of him. Fred looked at the scene with wide eyes. That shouldn't have been possible. There was no known way to block the killing curse, so how…

"You will not touch my friends," she suddenly heard Hermione growl behind him, before she stepped in front of them with an angry expression on her face. It was a total unnatural sight, as her hair suddenly seemed to fizzle with energy and her eyes were huge and black, instead of their normal caramel-brown colour. Also, the air around her suddenly seemed to prickle with energy making the hairs on his arms to stand up. Fred stared at her with his heart agitatedly beating in his ribcage. What was happening to her?

Bellatrix Lestrange seemed to be asking herself the same question, as she stared at the girl with a calculating expression on her face. That was the moment when the other Death Eaters finally burst into the hallway and another set of curses flew into their direction. But before any of them could get even close to Fred and his friends, Hermione blocked them with a large, fizzling shield. Fred stared at it with wide, confused eyes. How was she doing that?

"Stop staring and do something," Hermione grit out and snapped him out of his stupor. "I can't hold them back much longer."

Fred saw his twin nod and following a sudden inspiration he pulled out a hand full of small black beads from his robe. With a quick motion he threw them onto the ground and a moment later the area around them was covered in darkness. "Run!" he shouted before taking off into the direction of the exit himself. He could only hope that his little distraction worked and they would be able to be getting away. Because if he wasn't wrong Hermione had just put her cards on the table to protect them and by the look on Bellatrix' face she had just understood that neither Fred nor George were, in fact, the Open Link.

ssssssss

Severus just wanted to sit down with a bunch of first-year essays, when that annoying house-elf appeared in front of him on his desk. It wasn't Pucky or any other he knew, but the creature stared at him with wide, blue eyes and offered him a little piece of paper with trembling hands.

"Miss Hermione sends Dobby with a message, Sir," the little elf said staring at him with something like fear in his eyes. And suddenly Severus remembered where he'd seen the creature before.

"You're Lucius' elf," he said evenly, without taking the message from the elf. "Well, let Miss Granger know that she can talk to me herself if she has a problem." He looked at the creature with small eyes and most of them would have left his office trembling with fear by now, but Dobby just looked at him with a determined expression.

"Miss Hermione said it is urgent, Sir," the little plague said and made two steps in his direction until it was standing right in front of him so that his nose was almost poking into Severus' chest. Then the little beast held the message right into his face. "Read it, Sir."

Feisty little devil, Severus cursed inwardly. Now that persistent witch was starting to send him letters as if it wasn't enough that she still tried to get his attention. With a growl of annoyance, he plucked the message out of his face. For a moment he considered just putting the message aside, but suddenly he felt a warning tug in his chest and so he finally unfolded the message with a heavy sigh. It only took him a moment to scan the handful of words, she must have hastily scribbled onto the paper, but he had to read the message twice before he finally grasped what it was saying. He cursed. Merlin, when would that witch ever learn?

"Get the Headmaster, Dobby," he said raising himself from his desk. "Tell him the Open Link has decided to stumble heads-on into a trap." The elf nodded wide-eyed and with another plop he was gone.

This was bad. What did the girl think following Saint Potter on his suicide mission into the Ministry? It was only a matter of time until they got themselves killed or captured and right now Severus wasn't sure what was worse. But he swore to himself, if Potter didn't get himself killed in his reckless stupidity, he'd kill the boy with his own, bare hands.

Severus rushed to the door, connecting his office with his rooms. It was reckless, but there was no time for him to wait for the cavalry. If he wanted Hermione safe, he'd have to help her right away. It couldn't be long until those idiots met the first Death Eaters. He was just about to grab a hand of floo-powder from the mantle when he suddenly felt his magical energy draining out of him like somebody had pulled a stopper. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake off the feeling and with growing horror, he realized, that his knees suddenly started to buckle below him. There was only one explanation for it. Hermione had activated the Link and started pulling energy from his magical core. This could only mean, that those idiots had gotten themselves neck-deep into trouble and as Severus sunk tiredly to his side he realized that there was nothing he could do to help them.

ssssssss

"Come here, come here, wherever you are!" the mad witch's singsong echoed through the corridors as Hermione and her friends dashed through the doors into the next room. Those Death Eaters were hard on their heels but they somehow needed to make it to the exit, if they wanted to survive. Because those crazy people were out for their blood and Hermione wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to protect her friends.

Hermione looked around the room with wide eyes. They were back in the Time Room that was holding countless time-turners and for a moment she considered grabbing one to go back in time and warn herself about the trap. But she knew that time wasn't working like that and so she just cast another shield and kept running. It was right in time, as she felt the blow from another curse hitting her shield and she couldn't help but stumble. They couldn't keep running like that, as their backs made easy targets for those Death Eaters.

"Confringo!" A quick blasting curse made the wall of time-turners to her right blast into thousands of pieces, before the shelves collapsed and slid towards the Death Eaters as a huge avalanche. It wasn't enough to hold them off, but it would hopefully buy her and her friends some time to make it to the next room.

"Go!" Hermione shouted and a moment later Harry already held the door open for her and the five of them dashed through. Then the door behind them closed and they were back in the round room with the spinning doors.

"Let's hope we find the right one," Ron said and looked at them with squinted eyes. But Harry had already made his decision and ran to the one straight ahead. They stumbled through, but unfortunately for them, it wasn't the exit out of that creepy department, no. They stumbled into the creepiest room that there was, the one with the veil in the middle of it. Did they have time to try out another door, before the Death Eaters would be behind them? Probably not. Hermione banged the door behind them closed and looked at her friends with a serious expression.

"Alright," it's only a matter of time until they come looking for us here. "Let's hide and try taking them out from behind like before."

The boys nodded and Fred and George hastily started applying disillusionment charms. Hermione disillusioned herself, before she quickly moved along the wall until she had brought some distance between herself and the others. This way she wouldn't draw attention to the other's position when she started to attack. She heard some shuffling to her right and hoped that the others did the same. Hermione waited with a hammering heart and for some moments nothing happened. Then suddenly the door burst open so that part of it flew across the room and two Death Eaters stepped in.

"They aren't here either," the first one, a man going by the voice, said and looked around. "Where are those little rats hiding from us? They can't have gotten too far."

Hermione took a slow deep breath through her nose before she whispered: "Stupor." A moment later her red stunner blasted one of them from his feet, while the second one sagged to the side a moment later. She sighed in relief. They needed to go now before the other Death Eaters saw there colleagues lying on the floor.

"To the door!" she shouted and she was just about to make her first step when a dark-hooded figure appeared in the door. It wasn't a Death Eater, even though the white face staring directly at her disillusioned form could have been easily mistaken for a mask. But the snake-like features and the red eyes left no doubt about whom it was, that stepped into the room.

"I must say, I am impressed," he said looking around before a wave of his bony hand cancelled all their disillusionments. Hermione saw that Harry was only a few steps to her right, while the twins and Ron were almost at the other end of the room.

"Well Miss Granger," the man said looking at her with his eyes glittering amusedly. "I must say, you gave us quite a chase. But I fear this little game is coming to an end now."

Hermione stared at him with a stony expression. He knew, she realized, which meant that they were in serious trouble now. Where was Severus? Had he even read her message by now? Or was Dobby still trying to make him accept it?

"You're not touching her," Fred suddenly growled from across the room and a second later he and his brother started casting. Some of the spells Hermione had never seen before, but the Dark Lord didn't even bother to turn around and just shielded them without even raising his wand.

"Very amusing. The knights in shining armour," he commented and finally turned around to look at the twins. "Unfortunately I'll have to sever this little bond you have with my witch, as this thing is much bigger than your pitiful teenage romance." Like in slow motion Hermione saw him raising his wand and a detached part of her brain realized that he was holding it like a conductor would hold his baton. Before he even started to cast a spell Hermione knew that he wanted to kill them, as he had come to the conclusion that she must have bonded herself to them. The twins must have realized the same, as their eyes wandered to hers and stared at her with determination, while they raised their wands. Hermione bestowed them a silent nod before she too raised her wand. Only a second later a beam of yellow light left Lord Voldemort's wand and collided with the shield, she had managed to cast right on time in front of her twins. The redheads didn't think twice and send another handful of curses into the man's direction. But even though one of them even managed to hit him into the chest, he didn't even stumble and just looked at them with an amused smile on his face. "Is that all you got?"

Before any of them could answer, a phoenix bust into the room and with him Professor Dumbledore and several other Order members. The Headmaster appeared right in front of the twins and stared at the snake-like man with steel in his piercing blue eyes. "Well Tom, unfortunately for you those boys are under my protection. You took a high risk coming here today."

Hermione felt the relief flooding her body. They weren't saved yet, but with Dumbledore and the other Order members here, their chances had just significantly increased. But Lord Voldemort didn't seem concerned in the least, as Hermione heard his cold laugh echoing through the room a moment later. "You really should re-evaluate your priorities, old man," he said before he disappeared in front of their eyes. Hermione just wanted to relax, when she suddenly felt a white, cold hand close over her mouth and pull her against a bony chest. And just as she stared at her friends with a frightened expression, she could see the horror of realisation dawn on the Headmasters face.

"You can keep those twins, for now," the Dark Lord's cold voice stated coolly right behind her and Hermione felt a shiver of fear and dread run down her back. "I'll keep the girl instead."

Suddenly his voice sounded smug, Hermione realized and she could only imagine his red eyes gloating with victory behind her.

Hermione had barely enough time to focus her eyes on the Headmaster, horror and realization of what was about to happen with her shining in them. Then she could feel herself being pulled away in an apparation and everything around her went dark.

end of part 1 of the story


	32. Chapter 32

A.N.: Hello guys. Here comes part 2 of this story. Altogether it will be three parts and probably at least 60 chapters. But I told you it would be a long journey. As you were all eager for the next chapter, I decided to not let you wait any longer. Enjoy!

Part 2: Isolating the link

Chapter 32: Lost

"No." Fred gasped frozen in place, staring horrified at the spot, where Hermione had stood mere seconds ago. But she was gone, had simply disappeared in front of their eyes as Lord Voldemort took her with him against her will. And he hadn't even lifted a finger to help her, but neither did anybody else, not even Dumbledore.

"She's gone," George whispered and ran to the place that bastard had just disapparated from. There he sunk to his knees and stared at the floor with wide, teary eyes. "She's really gone." Even though he said the words they sounded like he still couldn't believe what had just happened and neither could Fred. It wasn't just that their friend was captured in front of their eyes, but her being the Open Link had consequences none of them could overlook right now.

"What did just happen? Why did he…" Sirius' voice sounded across the room as he ran to the middle of the room with pounding steps. "Don't tell me she…"

Fred nodded with a sorrowful expression on his face. "Hermione. She's…" But he couldn't say it. He had taken an oath to not reveal Hermione's secret and even now, that it was out in the open he was still unable to say the words. There was a warning tingle in the back of his head as soon as he attempted, which let him snap his mouth shut immediately. And going by the choked sound his twin made, he felt it too. God, he felt pathetic. Not even now, when the milk was already spilt, was he able to help her and if it was just by letting Dumbledore know what had happened.

The implications of their subterfuge just started to hit him. Dumbledore had tried to protect him and George, not her, because he had believed that it was them You-Know-Who wanted. He had thought the others were safe, which basically made this whole situation their fault. Fred felt sick.

"Hermione is the Open Link," Harry finished tonelessly for them and looked at the twins with a calculating expression. "You knew, didn't you? That's why you left school after delivering such a show." It wasn't a question but a simple, dry statement. This reaction wasn't at all like Harry, because usually, that boy wore his heart on his sleeve. But it was as if his face had lost everything but cold detachment.

They stared at the floor guiltily. Not even now they were able to deny or confirm Harry's words and Fred gritted his teeth at the realization.

"Well Messes Weasley, if that is true and Miss Granger is indeed the Open Link, then we all just made a grave error and I fear we'll pay dearly for it," the Headmaster finally said and Fred could tell that he had focussed his piercing eyes on the two of them.

"Not if we get her back," Ron said determinedly from the other end of the room. "Hermione saved my life today and so many times before. I'm not just leaving her with that maniac. She's a muggle-born for Merlin's sake! Who knows what that monster will do to her?"

Dumbledore looked at the boy with a sigh. "I think for now we don't need to be worried about her safety. Lord Voldemort will want to make use of her powers as an Open Link and for that, he needs her to trust him."

"She'll never trust him," George replied with a humourless snort. "She's lived through years of pureblood-racism and I'm pretty sure she's not just going to forget that." _And apart from that, she even had to obliviate her parents because of that bastard_, he added in his thoughts so that only his twin was able to hear his words through the twin-bond.

"Be that as it may," Dumbledore added with a heavy sigh. "I fear that will only give us a bit more time to find her. Alastor? Nymphadora? Take the other's along to secure the Ministry. There still might be some more of Tom's friends around here. I will return the students to the castle and then I'll see if Severus has any idea, where Riddle could have taken her."

hghghghghghghgh

This apparation was completely different from everything Hermione had experienced before. Usually apparating felt to her like riding a rollercoaster while being trapped in a matchbox or something equally dizzying, but what she experienced now wasn't any less unpleasant. Her body was tightly pressed against You-Know-Who's bony and cold form while he pulled her along with an iron grip. One of his hands had firmly settled over her mouth and she was pretty sure the violent lurching of her stomach was not due to the travel method, but due to the disgust of being touched by this man.

It was most likely only a second later when she felt the hard ground under her feet again. The landing was surprisingly soft but considering that the man had probably mastered the most difficult and forbidden forms of magic, that shouldn't have come to a surprise to her. She didn't stumble but when his hands finally let go of her, she pulled away and retreated backwards. Surprisingly he let her go, studying at her retreating form with red, fascinated eyes. Hermione stared back at him with a hateful expression and in a split-second decision she found, that she'd rather die duelling the bastard then submit herself to whatever he had planned with the Open Link.

"Stupefy!" she shouted whipping her wand, which she still held in her hand in his direction. But her opponent blocked the spell without even using his wand, by casting a simple shield. Hermione cursed, before throwing a cutting curse and a small fireball into his direction. None of her curses could even touch him though, as he just blocked them with a bored motion of his hand without returning her attacks. How did he even do that wandlessly with such ease? She stared at him in frustration. "Bombarda! Expulso!" More spells left her wand but it was always the same. None of the reached him or at least made him pull out his wand. The snake-like man just stood there and countered them one by one with his eyes glinting in amusement. And somehow his total impassiveness was what angered and frustrated her the most. She could as well have attacked thin air and would probably have been equally successful, if not more.

"Are you quite finished now?" he asked her after she had tried all the duelling spells that came to her mind. She was heavily sweating by now and her limbs were shaking from the pure attempt to keep her upright. But giving up wasn't an option. She wouldn't stay here, she couldn't! "Diffindo!" she said with every ounce of strength that was left in her. The cutting spell had barely left her wand when she felt her knees buckle below her. Sinking down to them she saw, how Voldemort raised another shield, but still a moment later a thin, red line of blood appeared on his cheek. For a moment Hermione stared at it with wide, frightened eyes, then she tried to pull herself up to her feet again. Merlin, she had hurt him and now he'd probably hurt her in return. But it was of no use, her legs simply would no longer follow her will and so she just saw the madman step closer, before her body simply refused to hold her upright any longer and she sagged to the side. She felt her consciousness cloud with darkness and for a last time, she tried summoning all the power that was left in her and fight back. But it was of no use. The last thing she saw was Lord Voldemort leaning over her body while his lips formed a pleased little smile before her eyes would no longer stay open and she blacked out.

hghghghghghghgh

Looks like he caught himself a lioness, the Dark Lord mused, as he lifted the girl's unconscious body from the floor. He was surprised how light she was as he carried her upstairs to the room that would be hers for the unforeseeable future. Considering her small body and young age, his little lioness really did have some claws. There was such fire behind her eyes! To him, it was like meeting a young version a Bellatrix, a _sane_ one, not that Bella had been sane, to begin with. But he was sure Hermione Granger could be equally ruthless and passionate when she had set her heart on something or someone - and wasn't that thought entrancing?

There was no question, that she was indeed the Open Link. Not only had he seen her blocking Bellatrix' killing curse through Potter's eyes, but he also saw her blocking his own spell which should not have been possible. The girl was a miracle, not only because she didn't seem to experience any fear in his presence. She had managed not only to fool him and his servants for such a long time but also Dumbledore and even her own friends. No wonder Severus hadn't been able to track her down. The only ones who seemed to have known her secret were those annoying red-heads she seemed to have forged a temporary bond with. But that wasn't anything to be overly concerned off, as those ties would break with time and a bit of the right influence. After all, he did have a pretty reliable connection to one of her best friends and therefore it should be pretty easy to find out everything about the girl he'd need to know in order to win her over.

With a last, curious look at her now relaxed face, he lowered her onto the large four-poster-bed. Going by her level of exhaustion she would probably be out for the next several hours. That would leave him with enough time to start planning. Considering his first experience with the girl, she wouldn't make it easy for him, but Lord Voldemort would enjoy to finally make her all _his_. The more she resisted the sweeter would his victory be in the end, he realized as he looked at her sleeping form on the silky purple sheets. And he couldn't help the hungry expression that crept into his red eyes as he took in her petite form spread out on the large bed. These next weeks and months would probably be some of the most enjoyable in his life, so far.

hghghghghghghgh

"Well Severus, I think you do owe me an explanation," the Headmaster said, disappointment resonating in his voice. He groaned. He couldn't even remember where he was and he had even less of an idea, why the old goat was suddenly disappointed with him. God, this headache was killing him. Cradling his pounding head, Severus tried to pull himself up, finding himself on his sofa after blinking his eyes open.

"What happened?" he croaked and stared at the old man in front of him with clouded eyes. "Sorry Albus, I feel like shit at the moment and right now I can't even remember, why I've obviously passed out in the middle of the day."

The Headmaster looked at him with an unreadable expression without giving an answer right away. Finally, the old man sighed and said: "I think you might have passed out due to the fact, that Miss Granger, who happens to be the Open Link, drained your magical energy. But that would presume that the two of you formed some kind of attachment. So tell me Severus, are you linked to Miss Granger?" the Headmaster asked in disappointment.

For a moment Severus just wanted to close his eyes again and sink back into unconsciousness. But it wasn't to be. Dumbledore would not leave his side until he had gotten his answer and considering that the girl had obviously exposed her secret, this one no longer mattered. "Why don't you ask her yourself, Albus?"

The Headmaster sighed. "Because she's gone, my friend. Tom took her with him."

The news was like a blow into his chest and Severus found himself gasping in shock. It couldn't be, it mustn't. But one close look at Albus Dumbledore grave expression confirmed his words. The man wasn't joking and suddenly Severus remembered the note he had been delivered by that annoying house-elf.

"The Dark Lord came to the Ministry…" Severus said tonelessly and stared at the carpet with unseeing eyes. "But he couldn't have known, nobody knew except…"

"You and the Messes Weasley. They didn't betray her, Severus. Your… _friend_ decided to save young Mister Weasley by blocking a killing curse sent by Bellatrix if the student's words are to be believed," the Headmaster said, the emphasis on the word 'friend' did not go unnoticed.

Severus shook his head. "Blocking the killing curse is impossible," he said but when he raised his eyes to the Headmaster that was currently occupying one of his wingchairs, the man looked at him with raised brows.

"Apparently you only need enough energy to cast a strong enough shield, or enough willpower - probably both. Miss Granger seems to be very passionate about her _friends_."

He nodded silently choosing to keep ignoring the blatant question the man was not asking. Dumbledore was right. Hermione was passionate about her friends and he, who should have been there for her, had treated her like a jealous bastard because that's what he'd been. He had been afraid of losing another one of his friends to a bunch of Gryffindor idiots. It had happened with Lily, after all, but just now Severus understood, that Hermione Granger was everything that Lily had never been. Hermione would never have abandoned him, it was he who had pushed her away, over and over again, while she had sought him out and tried to talk to him. He felt shamefully reminded of being in the same situation after he had called Lily a mudblood. How he had wished to be given a chance to explain himself to her, even if she would not have forgiven him in the end. He could only imagine that it had been the same for Hermione and that realisation broke his heart. Merlin, he had been a shitty friend to her.

"Yeah, that girl would do almost anything for her friends, an attribute that is making her the Open Link in the first place, I believe. We need to get her back Albus, she's the one who can end this, can end _him_. And if what you said is true and she can even block the killing curse…"

The Headmaster nodded. "We will do what we can to make Miss Granger return to us, but it won't be easy and might come at a price. Are you willing to pay it, Severus?"

And here he experienced another Déjà vu. He had been in the exact same position years ago and had made himself the Headmaster's willing puppet. But not again, never again he would submit himself to that man's manipulations.

"I'll do anything to get her back," he said, looking at the Headmaster with a serious expression. "But it won't be through another vow," Severus said glaring at the old fool. He would not be leashed once more. Hermione needed him more than Potter now.

hghghghghghghgh

Harry felt numb inside. This whole day was like a big, never-ending nightmare to him. First, this vision of seeing Sirius being tortured, Sirius, who was all he had left of his family. He had been so sure that what he saw had been real, it had _felt_ real, for Merlin's sake but in the end, it had all been an illusion to lure him into the Ministry. Or had he even been the target? What if that was all just a plan to lure out the Open Link? Back then Voldemort had still thought it was the twins and they were nowhere to be found for the last weeks. But Hermione had known, _of course_, she had, as she had even shared her secret with them. Why hadn't she told him? Or Ron? They were her _friends_ for god's sake, or at least he had thought they were. He felt the anger within him rear its ugly head, but he hastily smothered it down. He could ask Hermione as soon as they got her back - _if_ they got her back. But the alternative was just too horrifying to think about it now.

Finally, they were all allowed to go back into the common room. Ron was right at his side, but his friend just mutely stared at the floor in front of him. Harry couldn't fault him for it, he didn't feel much like talking either. Luckily the Gryffindor common room was already empty as it was well past midnight when they finally made it back and as it was the middle of the school week all their fellow Gryffindors had already retreated into their beds. Harry couldn't wait to do the same - he wanted this awful day to end.

"Meooow." Small yellow eyes stared at them from the darkness and Harry didn't even have to think which animal they belonged to. There was only one cat in the whole castle that was like him, Harry knew.

"Hello Crooks," Ron greeted the bushy cat with a tired voice and tried to move past him, but the animal simply moved in front of them and stared at them with a questioning gaze. "Meooow." It was like they were asked a question and even though that cat couldn't really form words, the question was clear. Crookshanks was looking for his mistress, for Hermione. But Hermione would not return in the foreseeable future, probably never.

"She's not here," Harry said tonelessly as he stared at the cat. His eyes slowly got used to the darkness so that he could now see the cat staring back at him with unblinking eyes like it was waiting for some sort of explanation. And looking at those eyes almost broke him. They were intelligent, just like hers. "She's been taken," Harry continued and suddenly he felt the tears well up behind his eyes. It was his fault, he realized. Hermione had tried to hold him back, to make him stop to think but he had been so busy running headlong to save Sirius, that he hadn't really considered her words properly. Because he had been so convinced he was right when he was actually far from it.

"Meooow." The cat kept sitting there, staring at him and for a moment it was almost like it was Hermione sitting in front of him with an analysing gaze. It was like those eyes saw right into his heart and judged him for what they saw.

"Stop looking at me like that!" he shouted and he could feel the emotions he had bottled up within himself for the past few hours finally break free.  
"I know it's my fault! I was the one dragging her into that mess. She warned me that it was probably a trap but I didn't want to fucking listen! She wanted to get help, she _did_ get help, because I would have just stormed off on my own. Because that's what I _do_. I keep dragging her into these situations with me and she's usually the one making sure we survive. Even now…" His voice was choked by a sob. "All of us made it out, without much more than a few scratches and she was the one making sure we did. She was the one saving Ron, saving the twins, not me." Another sob escaped his mouth and by now hot, wet tears ran down his cheeks. "She was the one taken by Voldemort, the one who will have to suffer for my stupidity! God, if something happens to her…"

He could feel Ron's hand on his shoulder. " Is' alright, mate."

"NO IT'S NOT ALRIGHT!" he screamed and tore away. "HOW COULD THIS BE ALRIGHT? HOW CAN ANYTHING BE ALRIGHT AGAIN?" He was shouting be now, while he started pacing the room, but he didn't care if anybody heard him. Because tomorrow everybody would know anyway. They would know that Hermione had been taken and why. "SHE'S PROBABLY SURROUNDED BY DEATH EATERS NOW. FOR ALL WE KNOW THEY COULD TRY TO RAPE HER IN THE HOPE TO ESTABLISH A LINK, NO MATTER THAT IT WOULDN'T BE WORKING. SO DON'T TELL ME IT'S ALRIGHT!"

Ron stared at him with wide eyes, but Harry couldn't stand his presence a moment longer. He wanted to be alone, wanted to crawl into his bed and just fall asleep, to wake up in the morning and realize that it all had just been a bad dream, no matter how unlikely such an outcome was.

hghghghghghghgh

The bang and the clangour of glass sounded through the room, as the richly decorated decanter smashed into the wall in a shower of tiny pieces. Another crunch and another when several containers with ingredients followed as Severus threw one by one with a raging scream torn from deep within his soul. The anger and the pain inside him threatened to burn him alive, that's at least how it felt when that old goat had finally left his quarters. A minute longer and he had probably lost it in front of him, but Severus had used all his strength to bottle all his feelings inside him until the Headmaster was finally gone with a last disappointed look into his direction. When his purple robes had finally disappeared through the floo, Severus couldn't hold his anger any longer. Hermione had been the best thing that happened to him for a very long time, probably ever and he had done nothing but drive her away because of one stupid mistake. The girl had accepted his dark past without flinching away from him once, even though she would have had every right to do so. She had healed him, like no other would have been able to, held him while he cried into her shoulder like he hadn't allowed himself in years. And Merlin, he had made enough mistakes to let the girl's stupid choice pale in comparison. Idiot!

One by one he threw his belongings around the room. Glassware, pillows, books, it didn't matter. But no matter how much he destroyed, the anger and sorrow within him didn't lessen. Somehow it only made it worse.

"Meooow." There was a strange noise in front of his office door, followed by the sound of scratching on the wood. He stilled.

"Meooow."

There it was again, it was a cat! There was no doubt about it. Merlin, he hated those arrogant beasts. And this one definitely came across his way the wrong moment. With pounding steps he marched to the door and ripped it open and just when he wanted to raise his voice to scare the animal away, a hairy, orange beast looked at him with a strange expression on its ugly face. It was almost like it looked at him with a raised eyebrow, which was ridiculous, as cats didn't have eyebrows, to begin with. And somehow that made him pause. This was _her_ cat. He had seen her holding the long-haired beast countless times and he had found it's hairs that must have been sticking on Hermione's robes on his sofa often enough.

"What do you want?" he asked the animal with a grim expression, but at least he managed not to shout, as he didn't fancy to be heard talking to a cat.

The beast looked at him for a long moment, before it simply got up and trotted past him into his office. Severus followed it with wide eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked it again, as he slammed the door shut behind him. The cat didn't even flinch and just strolled towards the door connecting his office and his private quarters with his tail proudly raised into the air. The thing looked like a gigantic bottle brush. Severus followed the animal with agitated steps. It moved like it somehow knew this place, but that was of course impossible. The paranoid bastard that he was, he always kept these chambers well warded.

But when Severus finally stumbled into his wracked living room, he found the beast already laying on the only unharmed spot on his sofa sniffing it with its flat nose. From there it looked at him with proud, yellow eyes. "Oh no, you little bugger," Severus said and worked his way through the chaos. "You're not staying here. Go back to…" But then it hit him. She wasn't here. Hermione was no longer here to take care of the cat, not that this beast probably needed much taking care of.

The cat didn't seem very impressed with him, as it just lay there, licking its paw while staring at the chaos. There it was again, that judging expression that could as well have been hers. Merlin, what would she say seeing him and his chambers in such disarray.

"Meooow."

He sighed heavily and looked at the orange cat with a tired expression. He'd need to find out its name as he needed to call it something, right? Which was, when the realisation hit him, that he had already accepted the cheeky little bugger into his life, temporarily.

"You're only staying as long as it takes me to get her back," he explained and looked at the beast with his most intimidating expression. But the cat just stared at him for a moment, before looking around the room with another disapproving look. Severus sighed. The cat was right. It was time to get this place cleaned up. With that brash cat around there was enough danger tripping at night, as it was.

He straightened his spine as he pulled his shields back up. The flush of red disappeared from his cheeks. The deep fathomless abyss returned to his eyes as his shields chased away all traces of emotion from him. The feared Potions Master was back to his normal self. With almost clinical precision Severus went about his quarters fixing everything in sight.

hghghghghghghgh

"We've lost her Georgie," Fred whispered cradling his brother in his arms. It was never a question that they would spend the night together in his bed after everything that happened. Right now their twin bond and deep friendship were all that kept them from screaming their pain out for everybody to hear.

"I know," George replied pulling his twin into his arms. "We were supposed to protect her but in the end it was her protecting us. We couldn't do anything, just standing there like idiots, watching Voldemort taking her away. Merlin, I still see her horrified expression when I close my eyes."

Fred nodded against his brother's shoulder. "Yeah, we couldn't even warn Dumbledore that _we_ were not the ones he should be protecting. Merlin Georgie, I feel like a worthless idiot."

"Yeah," his brother replied with a sigh. "Me, too. None of our spells worked against him. I felt like a stupid Firsty or something. How are we ever supposed to get her back now?"

Fred shrugged. "Dunno. We don't even know where she is, do we? She could be in fucking Antarctica for all we know."

George sighed, nodding into the darkness. "We'll find a way, brother. We promised to protect her and even if we did a shitty job so far, I'm far from giving up. Hermione is a fighter, Fred. She'll hang in there and hold out as long as she can. And I'm sure she'll do anything to get away from that bastard."

"Of course she will. Hermione's a fighter and she's clever. She'll find a way to at least let somebody know where she is," Fred agreed and squeezed his brother tightly. "And when she does, we'll need a plan to get her out. A _real_ plan, not just another suicide squad."

His brother hummed in agreeance. "Yeah, I'm not going to stand there like an idiot again," he said, before finally letting go of his twin. And then they started to plan.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Rude awakening

Hermione awoke in an unknown room and for a moment she thought she might be back to Grimmauld Place until the memories came rushing back to her. The Ministry, the blocked killing curse and then You-Know-Who taking her with him, she remembered all of it with growing horror. She had even tried to duel him on her own and the man hadn't even seen the need to pull his wand in defence. How could she ever be able to beat him? The simple answer was: she couldn't, which only led to the conclusion that she needed to try to escape.

She couldn't hope to be found by the Order, couldn't rely on them. They hadn't been able to locate Lavender, after all, Hermione wasn't even sure if they tried. And then there was Severus. Did he already know she was gone? Would he try finding or even rescuing her? Her former friend had been right on all accounts. It was her own stupidity that broke her neck in the end. Merlin, she should have known better than just following Harry head-along into the Ministry to duel Lord Voldemort on their own.

How had she expected that would end? Five teenagers that only had two or three decent defence teachers over the years against the man that had almost taken over wizarding Britain. Had they really expected to stand a chance? The sad truth was: Hermione had realized that leaving the security of Hogwarts had been a bad idea but nevertheless she had allowed Harry to run over her again and pull her along into this madness. He was her friend, yes, but it also wasn't the first time he decided to take matters into his own hands and not only endanger his own life but also his friend's like it was the most natural thing on earth.

Yes, he couldn't have known that Hermione was the Open Link, but she had known. She had known that things would go south, as soon as the Dark Lord got his hands on the Open Link. And what did she do? She dragged Fred and George into the Ministry, even though she knew that they had painted a target onto their backs. Merlin, Severus had been right. She was an idiot and the worst of it: even though he had tried to shake her awake, she hadn't learned. Again she had shied to make the painful but right decision.

Five teenagers storming into the ministry trying to save one man and probably losing all their lives as a consequence should not have been an option. Sirius would never have wanted that and would probably have gladly suffered to know his godson was safe. Hermione should have held Harry back and gone for help, even if that would have broken their friendship. But again she had not been able to sacrifice her relationship to Harry and Ron and instead went along with this madness. She deserved everything that came her way now as it was her own fault and so she had no right to complain to anyone but herself.

With a sigh, she lifted the heavy, dark purple blanket and swung her legs out of bed. Her feet were bare and when she looked down at herself she realized with a gasp, that she no longer wore her clothes from the day before but a long expensive-looking nightshirt, a male nightshirt. She could only pray that the man himself hadn't changed her clothes, because the mere thought of it made her feel sick. But as You-Know-Who regarded himself as some kind of leader or master, he had probably asked some poor house-elf to bother with the mudblood. Like to confirm her thoughts, she suddenly heard a silent plop to her right, and when Hermione turned around she saw a wide-eyes house-elf greet her with a deep bow. The little being was clad in a richly-decorated kitchen towel and to Hermione's relief, there were no signs of mistreatment visible to her.

"Mistress is finally awake," the small creature squeaked, staring at her with large, green eyes. "I is Hurry. Master has assigned Hurry as Mistress' personal house-elf." Hermione didn't know whether to be relieved or upset. She didn't want a personal servant, but Hurry's presence probably meant that her keeper hadn't bothered with her unconscious body. And who knew in which state her body and mind would be in if she didn't manage to escape this place, soon? She'd rather have a house-elf caring for her than any of these monsters.

"It's nice to meet you, Hurry," Hermione finally replied with a little smile. "My name is Hermione, Hermione Granger. I am not your mistress though. As far as I know, I am just a prisoner at this place."

The elf looked at her with contemplating eyes before he replied stubbornly: "Hurry was told by Master, that Miss Hermione is Hurry's Mistress. Hurry will, therefore, do as Mistress commands."

"Could you help me escape this place, hurry?" she hastily asked staring at him with a hopeful expression.

Hurry shook his head with hanging ears. "Hurry cannot, Mistress. Hurry is forbidden to do so and must advise Mistress to not try running away. The house is very well warded and Hurry doesn't want Mistress to get hurt."

She sighed. Of course, that bastard had warded the place to prevent her from leaving. He couldn't guard her day and night, after all. "Forgive me Hurry. But I had to ask," Hermione said with a sad smile. "Alright. Could you show me something to dress in? I don't want to leave the room like this but more importantly, I could use something to eat. I'm starving."

"Hurry is happy to serve," the small elf chirped making a happy little jump into the air. Hermione sighed. For now, she'd play along but sooner or later she'd have to take a look at those wards.

ssssssssssssss

His girl came down the stairs with the cautiousness of a frightened animal. He had given her the second-largest bedroom of the house, as was traditional for the Lady of the Manor to have - she was destined to be his queen after all. Lord Voldemort waited patiently for her in the large dining room he had instructed the house elves to prepare for their first breakfast together, but as the door to the hallway was left wide open, he could see her walking towards the room with measured steps. Luckily he was nothing if not patient, for her at least. It had taken him years to track all of the Founder's items down, but in the end, his efforts had paid off. With her, it would be the same. He had time to pull her to his side because she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon or ever.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the house-elf led her into the room, disapparating as soon as she had passed the double-winged doors, which immediately closed upon her entrance. There she remained, frozen in place and stared at him with an expression he couldn't quite interpret. He could see a stubborn glimmer in her eyes, but her mouth remained glued into a straight line. Only one thing he could say with certainty: that girl was not afraid of him. That would make it even easier to let her see, who he truly was.

"Good morning, Miss Granger," he greeted her liberally and motioned to the table. "I'm sure you're hungry after you spent all of your magical energy."

She stared at the table in disbelief and took in all of the dishes he had the elves prepare for her. As he didn't know her favourites yet, he let the elves prepare everything they had put on the Hogwarts-breakfast-tables during his time at school. He would only serve her favourites as he discovered them. _What was that old saying? Oh yes, Happy wife Happy life._

"You want me to eat breakfast with you," she said tonelessly and he could tell, that her brain was carefully analysing the situation at hand. It was almost amusing to watch and he was curious, what she'd make of it. It was almost a minute that she needed to come to terms with his invitation, while he just waited with a patient smile on his lips. But finally, she nodded with a heavy sigh.

"Very well," Miss Granger agreed before sitting down at the chair he had had the elves set up for her at the other front end of the table. While she moved, he finally allowed his eyes to roam her body. The simple black robe she had chosen for herself fitted her curves stunningly well, without showing to much of her petite figure. It was obvious, that she tried to be as inconsiderable as possible which was very refreshing as he was usually surrounded by followers who tried to gain his eye and interest in every way possible to them. It was tiring after the first few years. But this girl was refreshingly different, even if she wasn't aware of it.

For a moment she just stared at the offered food and for a moment he asked himself if she would even eat or simply sit while watching him eat. He could tell that the thought crossed her mind, but he unimpressedly summoned himself an omelette from the middle of the table and started to eat. And after another moment of hesitation, she followed along. Good.

The girl chose buttered toast and fruit. Following his example, she summoned the food with her wand, before she started to eat in small cautious bites. Going by the amount of power she spent the day before, she must be hungry, but she didn't let it show and ate while her eyes remained fixed on her plate. She avoided looking at him, the Dark Lord realized – a fact he'd have to change sooner or later if he wanted to convince the girl that linking herself to him would be in her best interest.

"You're without a doubt a very intelligent woman, Miss Granger," he finally said after he saw her having finished her first slice of toast and several grapes. "Therefore I assume you're aware of the reason you're here."

Carefully she lifted her head her caramel brown eyes staring at him without fear. "I'm the Open Link," she said neutrally and waited.

"That, you are," he confirmed with a small smile. "After your little display in the Ministry, there's no doubt of it." He folded his hands under his chin and for a while, they just looked at each other without blinking. But he quickly grew tired of that and continued: "As this is my first proper chance to talk to you, I'd like to establish some rules for our acquaintance. You are allowed to walk the house freely and without fear. Apart from myself and another … guest, there're only a few house-elves at the house. No one here means you any harm Miss Granger, as hard as that might be for you to believe."

Her lips twitched at his words. "It is indeed hard to believe. You are known for taking what you desire, for torturing people to death or insanity and killing orphans. You are known for hating muggles and muggleborns. My parents are muggles, did you know that?" That stubborn look was back in her eyes and he could only congratulate himself for having gotten his hands on such a fabulous witch. This girl was a fighter and when she finally devoted herself to him, she would be an invaluable asset to his side.

"I am aware of your heritage," he replied neutrally and looked at her contemplatively. "But it also came to my knowledge, that you are a bright and talented witch, the brightest witch of your age, they say. I was praised to be equally brilliant, did you know?"

He could see the glint of surprise on her face, even though she tried hiding it, and smirked. "You didn't know, didn't you? It's alright. There're a lot of things about me, you do not know, which is the reason why I think we should get to know each other. There is usually so much more to a person than what is commonly known, don't you think? Because I do see more in you than a simple muggle-born."

He had gotten her thinking, he could see it on her expression. That girl wore her heart on her sleeve which would it make so much easier to manipulate her. She wouldn't even realize he was doing it.

ssssssssssssssss

"Hey guys, where's Hermione?" Neville's sleepy voice greeted him, as soon as he and Ron made it down to the Gryffindor common room. It had been a long day yesterday and the events still left Harry shaken.

"She's gone," Harry replied, scowling darkly at the floor in front of him. "Voldemort's got her."

Their Gryffindor-friend stared at them with a dumbstruck expression on his face. " 's not funny Harry. You can just tell me if she's sick or doesn't want to help with my homework. Or do you three have a row or something?"

"No, it's true," Ron mumbled and looked at the boy with a sad expression. "We… went to the Ministry yesterday. Harry's had a vision or something, you know?"

Harry nodded a lump forming in his throat. The memory was still fresh in his mind. "I saw Sirius, my godfather, being tortured. I saw Voldemort Crucio him, he was writhing on the floor, screaming…" he explained, staring at the plump boy with wide eyes.

Neville looked back at him with a pained expression on his face. "Merlin… I'm so sorry Harry. Could you save him? Is he alright?"

Harry stared back at his toes, unable to answer for a moment. Instead, it was Ron, who said: "It wasn't real, Nev. It was all just a trap to lure Harry out or something."

The boy blinked at them in confusion. "So you just walked into a trap? How did you get to the Ministry anyway, because it doesn't really sound to me like there was an adult with you? You just went off on your own again, didn't you?"

"It's not like we had a _choice_, Neville. We went to McGonagall first, but she wasn't there. Time was running and it wasn't like we could search the whole castle to get her, right? And even then, Dumbledore wasn't even here, as he was out looking for Fred and George…" Harry tried to explain, but Neville didn't look impressed.

"So you just decided to just go on your own like you always do, didn't you? Three teenagers taking on You-Know-Who. Really Harry? That's just stupid!" Neville stared at him will balled fists and Harry could slowly feel his hackles rise.

"It wasn't like this," he defended himself, staring at his dorm-mate with wild, green eyes. "I don't expect you to understand this, Nev. But Sirius is all I have left of a family. I thought he was being _tortured_! It's not like he could lose him, too, just standing by watching him slowly lose his mind."

He didn't see the hand coming, just felt it when it connected painfully with his cheek, the slap sounding loudly through the common room. Harry stared back at the other Gryffindor with wide eyes, holding his buzzing cheek. "What was that for?"

"You think_ I _don't get it? Really? I don't have a family any longer, because my parents are at St Mungo's because of the exact same thing! They _were_ tortured into insanity, remember?"

Harry nodded dumbly. "Yeah, sorry. Listen, Neville…"

But he didn't get any further. "No Harry, now _you_ listen to me. You can't simply make the same mistakes over and over again. Every year someone gets hurt or worse because you're getting them in danger, _every single year_. What do you think will happen to Hermione now? Did you even ask yourself? Does it make it better now, that she's getting hurt and not Sirius because she's not _family_? Do your friends mean so little to you?"

It was like Harry had just received another blow and he stumbled backwards in shock. "Of course not!" he said, shaking his head while looking at Ron, who was standing next to him. "Merlin Neville, do you think I want these horrible things happening around me? Do you think I _want_ to stumble into danger over and over again? I didn't ask to be the _Chosen One._"

Neville looked at him with a sad expression on his face. "You don't want to stumble in danger? Then stop acting like an idiot Harry and _thin_k, before you rush off the next time. Because obviously, apart from Sirius, Ron is the last friend you've got left."

Harry didn't have time saying something in return, as Neville simply walked past him with a grim expression on his face. And for the first time since Harry knew him, Neville didn't look like the sweet-tempered boy he had known for years.

sssssssssssss

To Severus, it was almost impossible to resume his daily routine after everything had gone so spectacularly wrong. He'd been a fucking idiot in the last weeks and right now he hated himself more than he hated anybody else. That whole disaster was at least particularly his fault. What if had read Hermione's note faster? Could he have held them back or at least saved her? Or what would have happened if he hadn't pushed her away in the first place? Yes, she had made a terrible mistake or several for that matter, but who was he* to tell her what was right and wrong? Who had been here to teach her or let her see reason? Would she have sent for him, like she had for those twins, before leaving for the ministry if he had not pushed her away over and over again? It was no use beating himself up for his past mistakes of course, but Severus swore to himself that he would do better on her than he had on Lily. He had lost his first friend to this megalomaniac, but he wouldn't lose a second one even if he had to sell his soul to Dumbledore to make it happen. That, however, had already been proven a mistake with Lily dying in spite of his sacrifice.

Obviously, the Weasley twins had decided to resume their position as Hogwarts students. It was probably for the best. Going by what Dumbledore had told him last night the Dark Lord assumed that Hermione had linked herself to one of them, probably both and being the obsessive bastard he was, he'd try to get rid of them sooner or later to sever the Link. That only left one way to go for them: they needed a way to make sure those two idiots were safe. Hogwarts was one of the safest places in wizarding Britain, true, but it was also full of Death Eater children that were only to keep to please the Dark Lord. Therefore it was only a matter of time until there was the first attack on the terrible two. And as he wouldn't be able to defend them directly, he'd have to make sure they could defend themselves. The Headmaster wanted them well protected now and Severus could only wonder what kind of chess pieces the old goat intended them to be. But the man had made it pretty clear to him, that it would be a shame if he was found out to be Hermione's link, the threat clearly resonating in his words. Luckily Severus had planned to help the boys anyway – for Hermione's sake.

But first, he had to suffer through eight hours of mind-numbing teaching, when the classroom was currently the last place he wanted to be. He'd even prefer to be called to the Dark Lord and endure some sort of punishment, as that would maybe give him the chance to find out, where Hermione was. Because as things were he had no idea where to even look for her. Was she at Malfoy Manor? Or in that other Manor, he had been called to the last two times? But maybe she was also in an entirely different place, as the Dark Lord was a paranoid and obsessive Bastard.

The only thing he could tell with certainty was that Hermione was still alive. Severus could fell their Link buzzing between them and even though he could detect no flow of energy it was definitely active. Now that he focussed on it he realized, that the connection between them was still much stronger than it should have been considering that he had basically ignored her for several weeks. But obviously, the girl had clung to it and probably never lost hope, that their friendship could somehow be fixed. It would, he told himself. If he ever got her out she'd let her know how sorry he was and what she meant to him. He'd protect her come hell and fire because he'd let her down once, he'd not do so again.

ssssssssssssssssss

"We need to find a way to get to her," George murmured as he and Fred sneaked through the castle on the way to their lab. "We can't just let her rot in that hellhole, she's probably in now."

Fred gave a hum of agreeance but just as they rounded a corner, they came face to face with a dark-faced potions master. Shit. What was that man doing that close to the Gryffindor tower after curfew? Usually, the old bat only patrolled the dungeons and McGonagall's patrol routes they knew by heart after 7 years of sneaking around in the castle.

"One should have assumed the two of you learned your lesson after the last fiasco, but obviously you'll only start to understand the danger you're in when you're bleeding out in some deserted corridor."

George stared at the man with wide eyes. Was he threatening them? George just wanted to say something in return, but Snape already continued: "Let's see if I can drill some sense into you during detention. Follow me."

"What? Now?" Fred asked the man in disbelief. "It already past curfew."

"And you don't look like you planned to go to bed anytime soon, which means that you can as well put those next few hours to good use," their teacher replied with a raised brow before he motioned his head in the opposite direction. "And now start moving or I'll drag you into the dungeons by your ears."

The brothers looked at each other and for a moment they tried to find a way to wind themselves out of that mess. But then they realized that Snape would probably never let them go, no matter what they said. And so they only shrugged, before they turned around with a mocking smile. "No need for that, Professor," Fred finally replied with a grin. "We'll trot along willingly. Could have just said you missed us."

The Professor shook his head with a snort before he turned around and strode down the corridor. "Fucking morons," they heard him mumble before they fell into step with them, or maybe it was just their imagination.


	34. Chapter 34

A.N.: I know many of you are waiting for Hermione to get out. She WILL get out, but not right away. This wouldn't be realistic. Don't be afraid: she will NOT be raped or tortured. This is not this kind of story.

Chapter 34: Wide awake

Severus felt dead tired on his feet, which was partly due to the drain Hermione had put on his magical energy. He had mostly recovered it by now, but after Dumbledore had brought him the news, he had barely been able to sleep as his thoughts just wouldn't still. There wasn't much he could do right now to find Hermione, without seeming overly suspicious. And as he currently didn't even know where his master was, he would have to wait until being called to him. His only chance to get Hermione out, was to seem unsuspicious and trustworthy because Severus did not doubt that otherwise, he wouldn't come close enough to even see the witch. This meant he'd have to be patient, even though he had the urge to forget about being cautious and storming in like a fucking Gryffindor. But he couldn't do that because he might be Hermione's only chance to escape if there even was a chance, to begin with. For that to work careful planning would be required, so that he could give Hermione his best shot, because there wouldn't be a second chance for him. Once he had thrown his cards on the table and made his allegiances known, there would be no going back for him. The Dark Lord would hunt him down mercilessly and even considered Severus would survive long enough, he wouldn't come close enough to Hermione ever again. This meant his best option, for now, was waiting, no matter how much it pained him. Luckily there was something he could do to help Hermione, apart from letting that cheeky feline house in his quarters. And that was helping her other friends to stay alive.

"Before we're starting this detention we're going to have a little talk," he said after closing the classroom door behind him. He hadn't taken them to the dungeons but chosen an empty defence classroom instead, as it was much better suited for what he had planned. "Sit."

The redheads looked at him suspiciously but followed his request without complaint. So far so good. He, too, leaned casually against one of the tables, before he looked at the two Gryffindors with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Now tell me: how did you find it a good idea to roam the corridors at night, when a significant part of my Slytherins is determined to bring the Dark Lord your heads?"

The boys stared at him with wide eyes, before the older one, Fred, said: "What? You mean they're out for our blood?"

Severus couldn't help but arch his brows in condescension at their naiveté.

"Seriously? You're having to ask this? As far as I am aware, the Dark Lord assumed the Open Link has decided to forge a link to at least one of you. Cutting such ties is not easy, but death is a pretty reliable method, don't you think?"

"Merlin," the other one – George – replied, shaking his head in disbelief. "But we didn't… we aren't linked to Hermione."

"It doesn't matter," he waved him of. "The Dark Lord is convinced you are. The girl is definitely linked to someone, considering her little stunt in the Ministry. You seemed to be the only ones aware of her condition, as not even Potter or your brother knew. To him, matters are quite clear, which puts you in a dangerous position."

His words were followed by a serious nod from the twins. Going by their expression the reality finally started to sink in. "Merlin," George tonelessly said, while the other one, Fred, looked at him with a determined expression. "What do you want us to do? Hide in our dorm?"

Severus couldn't help but snort. "That would only postpone the problem. And everyone knows of your affinity for late-night-excursions, so I doubt you'd be able to stay where you're supposed to be for more than a week."

The boys didn't even try denying it and nodded. "Yeah," George said with a crooked smile. "That sounds about right. So what is it you're suggesting we do, apart from not getting caught?"

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm just here to teach you a lesson by giving you detention," Severus replied with a crooked grin that seemed to be a tad on the dark side.

The twins nodded and for a moment they almost looked disappointed, that he was not giving them any advice. But they were old enough to draw their own conclusions after he was finished with them. "Alright, Professor. What are we supposed to be doing for detention then? Clean out the room?" Fred asked with a raised brow.

Severus shook his head. "No Mr Weasley. That would be a waste of time for all of us. And what lesson would you be learning through that anyway?"

The other twin shrugged and looked around the room. "Dunno. But there's not much else we could be doing 'round here."

"Wrong," Snape corrected them and with a wave of his wand, all the chairs and tables moved to the side. Another few wand-motions let heavy wards snap into place. He saw the twins watching his actions with an unsettled expression. "Well Messrs Weasley, what are you standing there gaping like fishes? Start moving."

"What are you expecting us to do?" Fred asked him with a puzzled expression, hiding his growing fear.

Severus looked at the boys with a glint in his eyes they could never mistake for kind. Raising his wand at them they tensed as he smirked in their direction. "Dodge."

ssssss

After breakfast, Hermione had carefully explored the large house. The place was some kind of Manor and through the large windows in the rooms downstairs, she could see, that the place was located on a steep hill that was surrounded by a large forest. There were no houses visible in the distance and considering the fact, that she had not learned to apparate yet, it would be a long walk until she found someone to help her, assuming she made it past the wards.

Downstairs most of the place was taken by some sort of large audience room. As soon as she stepped through the large, double-winged doors she could see a large, black throne at the other end of the room that was decorated with all sorts of serpents that seemed to wind themselves around it. The floor was also built from some sort of black marble and only the blood-red carpet in the middle of it, provided some sort of colour. Was that the room where You-Know-Who met his followers, where he tortured them? Was this even the room where he had tortured Severus? Would she hear them screaming at night? The thought made her skin break out in goosebumps and involuntarily she stumbled backwards, only to find the self-proclaimed Dark Lord right behind her, as she bumped into his chest. Hermione stiffened before retreating with hasty steps into the opposite direction. Had he followed her?

"This is where I prefer to meet my followers when I am residing in this house" the man explained casually and stepped past her into the room. "Impressive, isn't it?"

What was she supposed to reply to that? Apart from the throne and the carpet, the room was pretty empty. There weren't even chairs. Why was the room that empty? Didn't that man find it boring staring at an empty room for the whole time?

"I prefer my followers to kneel or stand," Lord Voldemort replied as if he had read her thoughts. He probably had, Hermione realized in horror and hastily increased her Occlumency shields. Her most sensitive secrets should be unreachable for that bastards but him being possibly able to read her every-day thoughts was more than unsettling. It made her feel naked.

Her action was honoured with an unsettling smile that made him look even less human. Hermione shuddered. Looking at that room with that man standing inside it made the whole situation suddenly seem more real to her and suddenly she felt terrified by the prospect of spending Merlin knew how many years within these walls.

"I'm going to my room," she announced without commenting on the room's interior. She didn't want to rub that man the wrong way. In fact, she wanted as little contact with him as possible. Which led her to sit in her room and contemplating her situation. From now on she'd have her Occlumency shields even more firmly in place. She had to protect Severus at all costs because she had a pretty clear idea of what would happen to her friend as soon as her host found out, that she was linked to him. Hermione couldn't let this happen. She had disappointed Severus once, but she would not do so again.

It had probably been the longest day of her life, Hermione mused when she finally sunk into her bed many hours later. Mealtimes, that she seemed to be expected to attend, had been a silent affair, at least from her side. She could feel the man's eyes on her all the time and was only too happy finally leaving the dining room behind. Unfortunately, Lord Voldemort seemed to be spending most of the day in the library, which made her avoid the room, which she had planned to visit, like a plague. Reading would have been her only distraction and possibility to find a way out of this hell-hole. But she couldn't do that with the man constantly watching her like she was his prey.

Hermione couldn't go on like this. She needed to leave that place, the sooner the better.

And so she waited in her bed until past midnight, until she sneaked out of her room clad in her old Hogwarts clothes. She didn't plan to make a big escape today, but she wanted to take an undisturbed look at some library books to find some ways to detect and analyse wards. Because she had no problems believing that Lord Voldemort had this house well secured and she didn't fancy suffering some nasty curse or anything equally nasty if she tried to leave the grounds.

The library was huge and Hermione could only imagine that there was some sort of mighty extension-charm in place to hold such a vast collection of books. It was probably comparable to the size of the Hogwarts library, even though one quick scan of the titles confirmed her suspicions that most of these books would probably never be found there. She had thought that the Blacks had an extensive collection of books on dark magic, but to the many filled shelves she found on the topic here it paled in comparison. But dark magic wasn't what she was looking for. Luckily her host seemed interested in many other topics too which left her hopeful that she'd be able to find something suitable to take to her room and occupy her for the next days.

But as soon as she sneaked down the shelves, she could see a small light at the end of one row. Someone else was here, someone who rather preferred being undetected. Damn. She should probably leave again before she stumbled upon one of her host's Death Eaters alone and in a dark library. She sighed.

"Looking for anything in particular?" a foreign male voice startled her from behind. Turning around hastily Hermione shone the illuminated tip of her wand into a stranger's face. She stared at it with wide, distrustful eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked, prepared to attack him. Luckily the blonde, grey-eyed man didn't look like a Death Eater. He was young, probably in his twenties and going by the Pyjamas that peeked through his dressing gown, she had startled him as much as he had her.

"Could ask you the same," he mumbled studying her from head to toe. "You shouldn't be here in the middle of the night. Go to bed, it's a dangerous place," he said in a warning tone.

Hermione sighed. He was right, she knew he was, but she really needed to find out about those wards. Otherwise, she'd be here forever. "I need a book," she said hastily looking at the shelves.

The stranger stared back at her with a snort. "Obviously. We're in a library, after all. Come back in the morning then. You won't find what you're looking for in the middle of the night." With that the man moves past her, strolling back to the place he must have been sitting before. Hermione followed his retreating figure with a sigh. Hermione blinked. Was this the other occupant of the house, You-Know-Had had mentioned during their breakfast? Possibly. Who else would he be? If Voldemort kept him in this house than this could only mean two things: either this man was one of his allies, or he was a prisoner like her. She'd find out more about him, sooner or later.

_But not tonight._ She thought. Tonight she just needed a book, before she went back to her chambers as quickly as possible. If the man really was a prisoner like her, she was sure to meet him again sooner or later or find out about him from another source. Maybe Hurry would be willing to talk about him… Yeah, asking the little friendly elf would be a good idea to gather some information, she decided as she strolled down the shelves with her wand illuminating the books in front of her. Because no matter how much she wished for an ally, Hermione would stay on her watch. She'd made enough mistakes already. She wouldn't make another one.

ssssss

_Finally, the girl was asleep. Sprawled out on the silken purple sheets, her face relaxed into a peaceful expression __wearing one of his nightshirts again__. It wouldn't be long and she would be totally his until she'd want him to be hers too. He couldn't wait to hold her young body in these sheets, to possess her. It would be delicious. Carefully as not to wake her, his hand trailed to her hair, touching one of her curls and rubbing it between his fingers. He liked the feel of it and wondered how it would smell. He couldn't risk it, it was too early and he'd rather avoid obliviating her because of such a stupid mistake. No, he'd wait, he'd watch and he'd carefully make his plans, he decided, finally letting go of her and turning around to leave the room. He'd come back, he told himself, as he shut the door in complete silence and turned in the direction of his own room. He'd try to get a little rest, too, before he saw her in the morning. He couldn't wait to see her again, his little prize. _

"Hermione," Harry gasped pulling himself up in his sweaty sheets. He'd seen her, seen her through his eyes. That creepy bastard was watching her sleep, he realized with growing horror. And his intentions towards Harry's friend had been pretty clear during Harry's dream. He wanted to make her his, wanted to _touch_ her. God, he was going to be sick.

Lord Voldemort wanted to possess Hermione, Harry's friend, who was like a _sister_ to him. It was his fault that she was now in that monster's claws, that he was even watching her in his sleep. Merlin, there had to be something he could do to help her. Because he wasn't sure how many more dreams like that he could stand.

sssssss


	35. Chapter 35

A.N.: Life has gotten crazy and really busy. Work is starting to bury me and that doesn't really help with my motivation to write. I hope I'll somehow be able to still update this story regularly, but I don't know what will happen in the next day and weeks. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess. I hope you are all well and healthy. This whole situation is getting to me, I must confess.

Chapter 35: Taxing your patience

There was a knock on his door. He didn't expect any visitors, as he lately avoided giving real detentions and his colleagues usually used the floo if they needed to talk to him. Severus was tired and he couldn't be bothered with those morons any longer, than his position as a teacher required him to.

He opened the door with a sour expression, only to find Potter staring at him with wide eyes. That boy was the last person, he currently wanted to see. It was _his_ fault, that Hermione had been captured, that she had left Hogwarts in the first place.

"What do you want?" he asked the Gryffindor with a sneer.

"I need your help," the boy exclaimed desperately and stared at him with wide pupils. "Please, Sir. Can I come in?"

Staring at him for a long while, Severus eventually moved aside and motioning his head towards his office. Potter followed his invitation with hasty steps, freezing in the middle of his office as soon as he closed the door. There the boy stood looking at Severus with an almost desperate expression on his face. He stared back at him with his brow raised questioningly.

"Well, spit it out then," he said and waited.

"I had another vision last night. I saw her, saw Hermione, and…" the boy started but Severus interrupted him with a gesture of his hand.

"You mean a vision like the one leading you to the Ministry a few days ago?" Severus couldn't help but sneer.

The boy looked at him with wide eyes. "I… I don't know," he said shaking his head. "I mean it all feels so real. It's always like _I'm_ the one doing it. He's watching her sleeping at night," the boy finally choked out and Severus felt a shudder run down his back because he could thoroughly believe the Dark Lord doing more than just that. The man was a sick bastard and he was obsessed with the Open Link.

But he couldn't let his emotions show on his face, couldn't let Potter know how worried he was about his friend. Potter had a direct link to the Dark Lord in his head which meant, that his master could be watching his actions at any time. Severus couldn't let his master know how worried he was if he ever wanted a chance to rescue Hermione from that hell-hole.

"Maybe he is," Severus said in a cold voice, "but maybe the Dark Lord just wants you to think he is. You'll never know the difference as long as you don't learn _to close your mind_."

"I'm trying, but it's not working," the boy whined, making Severus roll his eyes in irritation.

"Because you're not _trying_, Potter," Severus said, shaking his head. "I'm tried* to teach you Occlumency for _months_ now but I could as well try to teach a dog and it would most likely be equally successful."

"That's because you've been teaching it _wrong_," the boy pouted at first and looked at him with a scowl. "Even _Hermione_ did better than you with teaching me and she's taught herself by reading books."

"Well Mr Potter, as your friend is no longer with us, thanks to your little stunt, you'll have _to start reading more books then_," Severus sneered back at him while sending him a dirty look. "Because obviously, _I_ can't help you." It was the truth. Severus couldn't help him, not directly. His master would know.

"Please Sir, I don't know how many more nights like that I can endure. It's like Voldemort is torturing me or something," the boy whined but his words were enough, to drive him up the wall. This arrogant little shit. Everything was just about _him_, wasn't it?

"You can't endure it, YOU?" he asked and looked at the brat with dark eyes heavy from Occluding. He wanted to grab the boy's shoulders and shake him or give him a good spank so that he would finally realize how arrogant and egoistic he was. He couldn't because he would have given himself away, but Salazar he wanted to. "Don't like being confronted with the consequences of your stupidity then? What about Miss Granger? She has no choice but enduring it, doesn't she? Think she enjoys the attention the Dark Lord is giving her, maybe even likes it? No? Well, pity for her that she'll have to learn to live with it because I tell you what: It will be like that for her until the Dark Lord decides to let her go. When do you think that will happen?"

Potter stared at him with wide eyes. "He won't let her go," he whispered*, his voice thick with horror. "Not ever." Severus nodded, plastering an unsettling grin on his lips.

"No, he won't. So you better get used to seeing her like that, boy. Because going by your success learning Occlumency this will go on the rest of your life. Maybe this will finally teach you a lesson or two, as nothing else seems to be able to."

With that, Severus turned around and went back to his desk. There he sat down, pulling a stack of essays towards him. "Was there anything else you wanted?" he asked, putting on a bored tone.

"No Sir, but…"

"Good, then get out of my sight. I'm busy," he said waving him away with his hand. Then he focussed on the essay in front of him, faking to read it even though he did not take in a single line. But it had the desired effect as he heard the door open and close some moments later. The boy had left, Severus realized staring at the parchment in front of him with unseeing eyes. He'd have to find a way to help him, no matter how little the arrogant little fool deserved it. Because if he didn't, the Dark Lord would find a way to milk Potter for every tiny little detail about Hermione, to use it against her mercilessly and he couldn't let this happen.

He took a deep breath as he came to the realization that even with his words the boy had probably still not learned his lesson. _Damn all Potter men._

sssssssss

"We need to find a way to teach Potter Occlumeny properly," Severus said sitting in the Headmaster's uncomfortably soft cushioned chair with a disgustingly sweet cup of tea in front of him. One should think that the man by now knew his dislike for everything sweet, but Severus knew that Albus Dumbledore simply ignored that fact and forced his taste on him like he did on everybody else by offering those disgusting Lemon Drops. Severus got offered them every time he visited the old man, and every time he refused them with a dark scowl that the Headmaster gaily ignored. "He visited me in the afternoon, claiming to have visions of Miss Granger."

Albus Dumbledore studied him with the grandfatherly expression he often used when talking to his students and it unnerved him more than he would ever admit. "And does that bother you, Severus?"

For a long moment the potions master just stared at him, contemplating what it was, the man was implying. Finally, he answered: "This is not about me, or even Potter, Albus. If the Dark Lord continues having access to the boy's head, he'll make use of it mercilessly. And I'm not talking about torturing Lily's son with probably fictional pictures, but about gathering every little bit of knowledge on Miss Granger."

His conversation partner stared at him with a contemplative gaze. "I'm afraid you're right, my boy. Harry is very close to the Open Link, after all, and we can't have her compromised any more than she already is."

"Exactly," Severus replied, even though he would have liked nothing more than to choke that calculating, unfeeling bastard with his bare hands and see that grandfatherly grin bleed from his wrinkled face. "We won't have more than a few months, even if the boy manages to get a hold on his feelings. I can't teach him properly without being discovered."

The old man flashed him another grandfatherly smile. "You'll have to, my boy, as I can't teach him either. My secrets are too valuable for this upcoming conflict and there's nobody else skilled enough to help Lily's son, Severus. Remember that the boy needs you."

It was another attempt to manipulate him, Severus realized with growing anger. Not that it would work on him ever again, not with Hermione's' life on the line now. "I know he does, but so does the Open Link," he replied deliberately using Albus' preferred name for Hermione. "You can't have it both ways, Headmaster."

The old manipulator stared at him for a long moment, stroking his white beard as he did. "Don't worry about that, my boy. We can have Alastor watching your lessons. With an Auror inspecting your tutelage of the Chosen One there will be no doubt that you'll have to finally teach him properly."

"It appears that way, doesn't it?" Severus said, rising from his chair. "Make sure to let the boy know that it was you giving hat kind of order to Moody. This will hopefully save me another round of Crucio."

"It's all for the greater good, my boy, never forget about that. We all do have to make our sacrifices," Albus Dumbledore replied with an understanding smile. Severus would have loved to curse it from his face, but instead, he turned around slowly walking into the direction of the floo. The bastard never confirmed that he would tell the Potter brat anything. _Because my suffering doesn't matter._

"Is that what you're going to tell Miss Granger, once we've gotten her out?" he said, grabbing a pinch of Floo Powder and tossing it into the flames. If the old goat ever gave an answer, he did not stay to hear it.

ssssssssssss

"We're going out today," her keeper's raspy voice announced once she had settled herself down for breakfast. It had been three long days she had spent in this house but to Hermione, it felt like weeks. She stayed in her room as much as possible, because it was the only room where he would not come in to find her, she hoped it stayed that way. But she could slowly feel her mind going numb with boredom. Still, she would not give the man the satisfaction of asking for details. If there was something he'd want her to know, he'd tell her – he always did. She didn't have to wait long. "Lucius and his wife are giving a small family dinner to welcome you to our circle," he continued and she could feel his red eyes focussing on her. She didn't react, even though she could feel the hairs on her neck erecting in alarm. Instead, she kept eating her toast and sipping her tea with forced calmness. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her panic.

They sat in silence like that for a while with him motionlessly staring at her, like he was expecting some sort of reaction and she, slowly chewing each bite for exactly twenty times before swallowing it down. It must have been several minutes until he continued: "I expect you to be clean and presentable. Hurry will assist you with everything you need. Come to the parlour at seven. I'll apparate us to the Manor from there."

Apparating would imply being touched by that man again, Hermione realized, swallowing the last bite down, that suddenly tasted like sawdust. She sighed inwardly. It wasn't like she could refuse to go with him, because he'd probably just take her along against her will. "Is there anything else?" Hermione finally asked in a detached voice, finally forcing herself to look at him. Their eyes met for a second, causing a shudder to run down her spine. She would never get used to looking at those red but cold eyes and that pale snake-like face, she _refused_ getting used to them as that would mean somewhat accepting her current situation, a situation that was totally unacceptable, to begin with.

"No, this would be all," Voldemort announced with a crooked smile, staring at her with a predatory glint in his eyes. It took her all her willpower and Occlumency training to not bolt from the table straight away. Instead, she nodded before slowly folding the napkin and placing it on the table next to her plate. Only then did she get up and left the room without another word. She could feel his eyes following her out and tracing her movements up the stairs, as she slowly climbed them on the way to her room. Only when she shut the door behind her, she allowed herself to take a deep shaking breath and sink down to the floor with her back leaning against the cold wood. She didn't know how much longer she could do that before she would break down at some point. She could only hope that it would not happen right in front of him.

sssssssss

"Miss Hermione must get ready," the little house-elf squeaked, staring at her with wide eyes. "Hurry prepared a bath for young mistress. Mistress must finally clean herself properly, before getting ready for the evening with the master."

Hermione stared at the little female elf with a dispassionate expression. Hurry was right, of course. In the last days, she had only used cleaning charms on herself, as undressing in the bathroom felt _wrong_. It wasn't so much the feeling of being watched, but the feeling of having nothing on herself, if she was finally in need of defending herself or running away. Because even though Hermione hadn't left that house for _days_, she felt like she was constantly on the run. She was always prepared to defend herself or to suddenly find a way to leave this place and she wanted to be prepared whenever such a chance occurred. But now she finally had to put her armour down, as she stripped out of her clothes in the large, luxurious bathroom that was accessible through a door in her chambers. She did however ensure to cover every reflective surface with a thick conjured piece of cloth. She would be damned if the sick bastard watched her naked in the bath.

It was almost like the prefect's bathroom at Hogwarts, tempting her with its voluminous tub that was made out of pure marble. As long as it had been lying empty in front of her, Hermione had been able to resist soaking her body in there, but now it was filled with steaming, hot water, covered by well-scented foam and suddenly Hermione realized how dirty she was. Cleaning spells could only do so much after she got herself grimy and dirty during her fight at the Ministry.

The water was perfect, Hermione realized, climbing down the flat stairs into the huge tub. Hurry had scented it with some sort of lemon soap that immediately relaxed her, as soon as she inhaled the hot steam tickling her nose. And after a moment she didn't even remember any longer, why she had been so reluctant taking a bath in the first place.

Hermione scrubbed her skin until it was soft and rosy and after Hurry had brought her a bottle of expensive-looking shampoo she carefully washed her long curls. It would be a nightmare to get them dry and presentable afterwards, but maybe that was something she could ask the eager house-elf to do for her. Hurry was always eager to help and seemed especially sour-tempered when Hermione did not let her do so.

When the girl finally walked out of the bathroom, a huge towel wrapped around her body, she could see an expensive looking gown lying on her bed. It was made of an emerald and silky material, that was embroidered with several golden patterns at the hems. It looked stunning but also totally out of her league. She would look ridiculous wearing something like that.

"Isn't there anything more simple I could wear?" Hermione asked, eyes wide.

Hurry shook her head with a serious expression. "Master asked Mistress to wear that specific gown for the evening. Its fabric is interwoven with special runes, that are meant to protect young mistress from any harm. The Dark Lord designed them himself for young Miss."

Hermione felt a shudder run down her back. She didn't want to wear anything that had _his_ runes on it, was maybe even infused with _his_ magic. That gown was clearly meant to prevent somebody else from taking her away, probably from even touching her. Maybe it would even link her to that man, by putting some sort of leash on her. Of course, Voldemort would protect what he regarded as his, only that she would never belong to him, not ever.

Hermione sighed heavily. "Somebody should tell him that I am not a doll to dress, let alone his." she mumbled, lifting the gown from the bed. The fabric felt smooth and cool under her skin. For a moment she just stared at it, wondering if she would be able to feel the enchantments placed on it. Well, considering that time currently seemed to slip through her fingers, she'd find out soon. "Alright," she said looking at her elf with a resigned expression. "Could you help me put that on? I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to manage on my own."

Hurry gave her an eager nod and a wide smile. "Hurry is happy to serve, Miss."

She sighed. "I know."

ssssssssssss

The Dark Lord's call came as a total surprise to him. Severus was just about to freshen himself up for dinner when suddenly his Dark Mark started to burn. He stared at it with wide eyes. There hadn't been enough time for him to come up with some sort of plan for Hermione's rescue and as he knew he would only have one shot, he wouldn't budge the whole thing up by rushing in like a fucking Gryffindor. He wasn't Potter after all, which meant he'd need to have his emotions tightly in check. He couldn't show even a remote interest in Hermione, if she would even be there, because the Dark Lord was a jealous and possessive bastard. If he only as much as suspected his new plaything to be threatened, Severus had no doubt he would simply whisk her away and never let her meet another soul again. That, he had to prevent at any price. 

This time he knew where he was, as soon as his feet touched the ground after having finished his apparation. He knew Lucius' home inside out as he had spent many hours in these halls visiting his godson or his friend. Why had the Dark Lord suddenly decided to change the place for his audiences back to Malfoy Manor?

"Ah, there you are, my friend," Lucius' voice greeted him, causing him to turn into the man's direction. His friend was dressed in luxurious black robes, not the usual Death Eater attire and also his black and silver Death Eater mask was nowhere to be found.

"This is not a regular audience, then?" Severus replied with a sigh, which bought him a knowing grin from his Slytherin-friend.

"No. Narcissa and I are giving a little dinner for the Dark Lord and his… guest. Only family and close friends, don't worry," Lucius said soothingly, but he could only roll his eyes. Close family meant that Bellatrix would be here, as she had been able to escape the Ministry fiasco before the Order could get a hold of her. And Severus absolutely resented having her in the same room that Hermione was trapped in. But no, he couldn't think about his friend now. His mask had to be firmly in place.

"Ah yes, the Dark Lord's _guest_," he sneered taking off his Death Eater mask, shrinking it and storing it inside of his robe. "I wonder how that is going. That girl is as stubborn as they come."

"Don't worry Severus. You know our Lord has his ways," Lucius said cryptically, before motioning Severus to follow him. "He won't let this prize slip through his fingers, not even if it's a stubborn mudblood."

Luckily Severus' mask was tightly in place and so an amused twitch of his mouth was the only reaction his face showed. "You better not use that word in front of our Lord and the girl. I don't see him reacting kindly to offending his new plaything. You know how he can get about those."

Lucius snorted. "You don't have to tell me, my friend. You should see Bellatrix trying to not snap at the girl. She looks like she's about to have a stroke."

Severus didn't have time to answer his friend, as Lucius opened the doors to the dining room a moment later. His friend had his house-elves laden the long table with a variety of different food and wine, ten times more than they would be able to eat. None of the guests was seated at it though, as they were all standing to his right, obviously doing some sort of conversation. And going by the faces of the three women standing in a half-circle close to the huge windows, it wasn't going very well. Narcissa looked like she had bitten into a lemon and Bellatrix really looked like she was about to have a stroke, with the vein on her forehead pulsing in agitation. Hermione, who was standing to his master's right, was almost unrecognizable to him. Gone was her bushy hair and her wide school robes. Instead, her brown hair was tamed into an elegant chignon, while her petite body was framed by an expensive gown in mostly Slytherin colours. It had the Dark Lords handwriting all over it, marking her as his possession without the man needing to say a single word. But the most unsettling was Hermione's face. Like him her mask was firmly in place, completely swallowing her temperament and only leaving a dispassionate expression where there should have been fire and intelligence. It was all gone, leaving nothing more than a dressed-up manikin. He didn't know if he should be relieved or terrified.

"Well, look who had the grace to finally join us," Bellatrix sneered, looking at him with fire in her eyes. The witch had never liked him and after spending the last years in Askaban while he was comfortably seated at Hogwarts, she did so even less.

Severus studied her with a bored expression before he trained his eyes on the Dark Lord and sunk onto a knee in front of him and Hermione. "My Lord," he greeted devotedly, looking down at the expensive, ornated carpet to his feet. "It was very generous of my master to invite me to the celebration of your victory."

He could feel the man's bony fingers on his shoulder. It was the first time his master touched him since his resurrection and it took Severus every inch of willpower not to flinch away from it. It felt like being touched by death himself. "Nothing of that today, my faithful servant," the Dark Lord replied. "We're here in honour of my beautiful new guest here."

Severus raised his eyes to Hermione and their eyes met for a split second. She really was beautiful today, if one ignored the lifelessness of her face and the fact that she didn't even marginally look like herself any longer. Instead, she really looked like his Lord's plaything, as she would have never chosen those pompous clothes for herself. Because even if Hermione had dressed up for the Jule Ball last year, it had been in an innocent and girlish way, that made her look her age and not like an adult. "Miss Granger," he greeted her dispassionately before turning to the other guests. "Narcissa, you look stunning today."

The woman answered his compliment with a pleased smile and a nod. "Thank you, Severus. How is Draco doing? He has rarely written home in the last months, which is totally unlike him. He's well, isn't he?"

That was interesting, Severus thought, schooling his impression into a smooth smile. "He's as well as he can be, given the current situation at Hogwarts. With all of the Ministry's interventions and the Headmaster being even more of a menace than he usually is, it hasn't been an easy year."

It was the Dark Lord's raspy voice answering him while looking at him with an amused glint in his eyes. "Sadly it an indisputable fact that Hogwarts is degenerating, since that old fool has taken over. A fact I intend to rectify once I control the British Isles. That old coot has encouraged stupid, brash behaviour long enough, don't you think Miss Granger?"

Severus avoided looking at the girl, even though the eyes of everyone else seemed to focus on her reaction. But he could almost envision a flicker of fire returning to her eyes. "Oh, I don't know Sir." Severus heard Hermione reply, her words followed by a shocked gasp from several people in the room at her lack of proper address. "Considering the history of Hogwarts the different houses have distinguished themselves through their character traits and strengths countless times. Jasper Greenhill, a well-known Gryffindor, played a major role in ending the Goblin war of 1675. It wasn't due to his cunning but his bravery in the fight, that pushed the goblins back and finally made them lay down their swords. Milicent McGonagall on the other hand, who is one of Professor Gonagall's ancestors I believe, earned herself an order of Merlin first class by slaying one of the biggest basilisks known in wizarding history with Gryffindor's sword and it was only a few years ago until that feat was repeated by another Gryffindor."

The room had fallen silent and he could have sworn that neither of the Malfoys even dared to breathe. He couldn't blame them as he too was left totally speechless.

"You girl, are to call the Master 'My Lord', you hear me?" Bellatrix instructed her in an arrogant, disgusted tone. "Even though you're his special _trophy_, it is still necessary for you to show our master respect."

For a moment Hermione didn't reply and finally, Severus could no longer resist and his eyes snapped back to her. Her expressionless mask was still in place as she stared back at the black-haired witch with her chin raised proudly.

"No," she replied and suddenly her voice was full of steel. "Calling him that would imply accepting his claim on being somewhat my superior, which I do not. I am not a pureblood and his ideals do not apply to me in the least."

Severus closed his eyes in despair. He knew that the Dark Lord could and would not leave such an affront unpunished. His master would have to show strength in front of his most loyal followers, but knowing him he would also want to teach the girl a lesson. Because no matter if Hermione was the Open Link, she had just overstepped a boundary and his master would let her pay for that. And Severus would stand witness to her punishment.


	36. Chapter 36

A.N.: Thank you for all your lovely comments on the last chapter. They really built me up again. Life is just crazy here, but I guess it's everywhere right now. But that means, this is probably the best time for fanfiction, isn't it? Here's another one for you. I hope it makes you feel better, too.

Chapter 36: The punishment

Fire burned through him in an all-consuming rage as his prize dared to defy him, in public no less. He would have her thrashing on the floor had she been anyone else but she wasn't. No harm could come to her especially by his own hand. Oddly her reply only momentarily enraged him. It was then replaced with a tidal wave of lust and want he had not experienced in years. Such fire, such passion. He wanted it. He wanted to consume her in his own fire, to make her one with him.

He decided to throw everyone off balance with his response. It would be entertaining to see at least. He couldn't react in the way she was expecting. Yes, he could see the unsubtle move now for what it was. She wanted him to act against her. To hurt her or order her punished therefore ensuring she would never trust him. _Clever girl, but not clever enough._

"So you say now. But time has a funny way of changing the opinions of even the most stubborn and thick-headed people," he said with a smile he knew unsettled everyone in the room. Everyone except her. _Such a challenge.  
_"Besides," he purred as he turned his body to her and leaned slightly into her personal space. "I have been known to be very persuasive," he said with innuendo so thick that even Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't miss what he implied.

Her eyes flashed momentarily with her displeasure then the glint of something else passed that he did not like. She did not move away from him but simply smiled sweetly up at him with a hard glint in her eyes he would never mistake as playful. "When was that, in the 30's?" she asked him a crooked smile on her lips.

Shocked gasps filled the air at her blatant disrespect. He, too, felt the sting of her words that were meant to wound his pride. Yes, he was not the young, handsome man any longer that he once was. Wormtail, that useless rat had butchered up the ritual he had designed to bring him back so that he was now more snake than man. But that was a fact he planned to rectify sooner or later, with his potion master's help.  
There was one thing he had in abundance though and that was magical power and cunning – qualities which he'd teach her to value.

"You stupid, little mudblood," Bella shrieked throwing herself at his girl with claw-like hands. It was only a moment until she had closed them around Miss Granger's throat in the attempt to hurt her. "You will not…"

She couldn't continue, pulling her hands back with a hiss of pain, looking at the huge blisters forming on them with wide eyes. He could see his prize* looking at his wounded follower with a satisfied glint in her eyes that she hid away a moment later. He had seen it anyway. Still, Lord Voldemort would have to teach his lioness a lesson, not only to not lose his face in front of his followers but to let her realize, that those muggles, she loved and defended, were nothing but better animals. A man was _nothing_ without magic and _everything_ if he had it in abundance, like he had. And he knew the perfect punishment that would make her realize just that.

"Do try to reign your temper in, Bella. I will not have you offend my future bride. Do it again and you'll feel what happens to those trying to harm or take away what is _mine_." The black-haired woman stared at him with wide fearful eyes that swam in pain at his words. She wasn't used being scolded by him, as she was one of his favourites but to hear him call the mudblood his future bride cut deep.

"Yes Master, forgive me, Master," she pleaded, hastily taking a step back from his girl. He nodded, before slowly taking the feisty Gryffindor's wrist in his hand and pulling her closer to him until she was almost against him. "Now to you, my Dear. I think it is important for you to learn a lesson or two. And I hope you understand that such a blatant insult must be punished, even if it was uttered by my Queen."

His prize looked at him, eyes ablaze with fire and he felt a shudder of longing run down his spine. Oh, he would enjoy this punishment, seeing those eyes light up in realization as soon as she finally _understood_. "But I think you knew that already, didn't you, my Dear?" He pulled her even closer so that he could smell her sweet scent filling his nose. "Now, my sweet girl, I want you to hand me your wand. I will take it from you as a punishment and will keep it, as long as it takes you to learn your lesson. No longer having it will hopefully make you realize the importance and worth of magic and therefore make you re-evaluate your stance against our ideals." Without breaking eye-contact to her he held out his other hand, silently demanding her wand. He could see her eyes widening in horror, as her whole body stiffened and tried to pull away. But it was of no use, she was _his_ and he would let go of her when he was ready to do so.

For a moment she looked like she was about to protest, as she proudly raised her chin and took a deep breath. But he would not let her insult him in front of his followers again. "Will you hand over your wand on your own, or do you want me to take it from you?" he asked, his lips forming a predatory smile that let the pulse on her wrist flutter faster against his hand. "Because I must admit that I would thoroughly enjoy searching you for it." He saw her eyes hastily move back and forth as she seemed to contemplate her options. Then, finally, her posture seemed to deflate as she pulled her elegant vine wood wand from her sleeve putting it in his outstretched hand. As soon as he closed his fingers around it, he saw the fire disappear from her eyes, leaving nothing but black, expressionless orbs. _Interesting._

He let go of her hand a moment later, staring at his other followers with a victorious little smile. "You see, Bella? There is no need for you to fear me being unjust or suddenly tolerating my authority being disrespecting. Even my favourites need to learn their place, don't they?"

The black-haired woman nodded eagerly, eyes wide with glee over the punishment he had chosen for his prize. It wasn't difficult to see that she resented the girl for the position he had given her in his life.

The punishment was a hard one, indeed. It was rarely used for his Death Eaters or among wizard-kind in general, as for almost all wizards it would be worse than torture. Losing one's ability to do magic was an unimaginable horror to every wizard. Therefore it would probably only be a matter of hours until his lioness had learned her lesson and would beg for his forgiveness.

"Indeed. My Lord is very wise," Bellatrix answered, her eyes wide with admiration and desire for him. How long would it be until he saw that look on his girl's face? Not long, he decided with a smile, staring at the elegant wand in his fingers. It felt much lighter than his own one, the magical trace still lingering on it powerful but without the darkness that was now irrevocable linked to his own one. How would it feel to use he wand, to make it bend to his will and channel is magic? Would it try to resist him? Or would it welcome him, like he wanted her to welcome him in her magical core?

But no, he couldn't risk using it, as it would only make it more difficult to win his lioness' affection and trust. Instead, he carefully weighed it in his hands before pocketing it in one of his robe's inner pockets, close to his heart.

"Well, now that this unpleasant situation has been resolved, I think it is time for us to enjoy some dinner, don't you think?" he asked, looking at Lucius and his wife with an enquiring look. The two of them hastily nodded, motioning to the large table that was set for them.

"Of course, my Lord," Lucius said smiling eagerly but he could see the tightening around his eyes.

Lord Voldemort turned to his intended wife with a gallant smile on his thin lips. "Well my Dear, shall we?" he said, offering her his arm. This time she did not refuse, accepting it without comment after only a moment of hesitation and he couldn't help but feel pleased with himself.

sssssssssss

God, she hated that bastard. One day she would wipe that satisfied grin from his face, Hermione swore to herself, as she finally managed to hide her emotions behind her Occlumency shields. But not today. Today she had lost her temper and let her pride get the better of her and now she paid for it. He had taken her wand from her, taken it in front of his followers, in front of Severus, leaving her totally defenceless and at his mercy. Merlin, she really was an idiot, a proud, stupid Gryffindor. Hermione could almost hear Severus scolding her for her idiocy. Would he be glad now that he had cut ties with her weeks ago? Or did it pain him seeing her here, like it did her seeing him looking at her with a bored, indifferent expression?

She knew that his behaviour was probably just a mask. He was a spy for the Order after all. But still, it had been weeks since they had last spoken properly and the last time they did, he had told her what he thought about her stupid, overly emotional behaviour. And right now she had given him proof, that she still hadn't learned, that she still wasn't worth his time and his effort, let alone his friendship. This was probably what hurt her the most.

"You, my Dear, will be dining at my side today," Voldemort announced leading her to the front end of the large table. There he escorted her to a seat at his right, where he carefully pulled back the chair for her, using wandless magic, before sitting down himself. Hermione followed his example with measured movements, avoiding to look at anyone around her. But as soon as dinner started, the first problem of having no wand occurred to her. She had learned to summon the food whenever she was dining with Voldemort and when she carefully raised her eyes, she saw the other dinner guest doing just that. It was probably some sort of pureblood etiquette no one had bothered to tell her about. Only Bellatrix Lestrange sat there, watching her with her eyes shining gleefully over Hermione's upcoming humiliation, especially as the food had been left just out of reach for her. Hermione sighed. She was used to be looked down at, as Malfoy and the other Slytherins had done so for years. She had accepted their insults years ago, because they always referred to her muggle-parentage and upbringing, things she prided herself with. There was no shame in serving herself with her hands, right? She had done so herself, even at Hogwarts, where most of the students even some purebloods, like the Weasleys, still did. There was no shame in doing that, which meant, that they could only humiliate her if she let herself be humiliated by that sort of thing. And she was determined to not let that happen.

Her chair grazed noisily across the floor, as she got up, her plate in hand. Without saying a word she slowly walked towards the middle of the table, stopping right next to Bellatrix Lestrange and serving herself some peas with the spoon. She could see the witch staring at her with wide eyes and allowed her elbow to touch the woman's arm, which the Death Eater hastily pulled back with a painful hiss. Interesting. The protective runes the Dark Lord places on her robes also worked if she decided to touch someone. Would they also protect her from being attacked by magic? Probably.

She could feel all eyes being focussed on her, as she moved around the table. No one dared to speak a word, watching her bearing her punishment with a stoical expression and a straight spine. Hermione didn't care. They could stare at her as much as they wanted because it was all they could do to her. Secretly she had the feeling, that everyone else was much more annoyed about her walking around the table to get her food over and over again than she was herself. The realization of it made her get up once more, to serve herself a helping of the pudding, that was right in front of Lucius Malfoy's nose. And for a long time she hadn't enjoyed a dinner more than this one, Hermione realized, hiding her smirk behind her walls of Occlumency.

ssssssss

The girl had a spine of steel, Severus said to himself for the hundredth time that evening. After what seemed the longest dinner of the century he was finally back to his chambers at Hogwarts, sinking into his sofa with a heavy sigh. Merlin Hermione! The girl was a Gryffindor through and through, there was no doubt about it now. He had never seen somebody talking back to the Dark Lord like that, not in all the years he had served that horrible man. And even if a small part of him admired her bravery, most of him was paralysed because of the consequences in horror.

The Dark Lord had _taken her wand_, Severus thought, pouring himself a glass of firewhiskey before taking a big sip. This would leave her totally defenceless and at his master's mercy. Not that she would have been able to defend herself even with a wand if that maniac ever chose to hurt her, but there would at least have been a small gleam of hope that the girl would have managed to escape. Because Hermione Granger was brilliant and if there was a person to find a way out, it was her. But Severus could feel her fear, could feel the bond that still connected them tremble with it now. And even though knowing about her being scared filled him with dread, it was the first time in days he could actually _feel_ the connection between them again. It was still there.

"I'm here," he whispered, trying to send hope and assurance through the bond, clinging to it like Hermione must have done in the last weeks. It was the only explanation why the bond was still there, after having ignored her for this many weeks. "I'm coming for you, I promise," he told her, or at least he hoped he did. Because if she had ever tried to send words through their connection he had never heard them. It didn't matter, not right now. He _could_ feel her fear now, after all, so maybe she also felt the hope he was trying to send back. "It might take me a while to come up with a plan, but I _will_ come for you and I _will_ get you out. Just hold on…"  
He repeated these words over and over again, trying to remember the look of fire and steel he had seen in her eyes just hours ago. The old Hermione, his Hermione, was still there, he told himself, trying to chase the image of her impassive expression from his mind. She had just hidden her true feelings inside her, was probably trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, which was the right thing for her to do. Still, it had deeply unsettled him to see her like that and to know, that this probably was how she looked now day after day: the smile wiped from her face, her eyes dull without the spark that usually shone in them. Would those features become truly hers after a while, when the last flicker of hope was lost for her? Would that be what remained of the brightest witch of her age?

No, it wouldn't be like this. Hermione would not break, she would hold out until he was coming for her. And when he did, he would take her away with him to a place where that possessive bastard would not be able to find her.

ssssss


	37. Chapter 37

A.N.: Thank you again for all your lovely comments. They mean so much to me. Yeah, Hermione is in a really shitty place right now, but so are we. She will get out though - and so will we. Stay strong! Together we can get through this!

Chapter 37: Learning the hard way

Hermione's stoic facade broke after she finally closed the door to her room behind her. The evening at the Malfoy's Manor had been a long one as she felt constantly watched by at least one pair of eyes, but never Severus'. He seemed to remain totally unfazed by the whole situation and even though she knew that it was most likely an act, she couldn't help asking herself if she still meant something to him. Why hadn't he come for her in the Ministry? Was it possible that he didn't want to risk his position as a spy because of her idiocy? And would he try to help her now, that her situation was even more hopeless?

Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes and in three quick steps, she was in front of her bed. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself on the covers and cry into her pillow, but first, she had to get rid of those robes. She couldn't stand to have them on her skin even a moment longer, knowing that Voldemorts runes were woven into the material. It made her feel sullied.

With shaking fingers she tried opening the bindings in the back, but those damned things simply wouldn't budge. It was like the whole dress was held together with magic because no matter how much she tore and ripped, it didn't even move an inch. Somehow this was the last straw for her and all the pent up frustration and fear suddenly broke free. She wasn't even able to get out of this stupid robe without the help of her magic. How was she supposed to make it the next days, weeks or months without it?

A desperate sob escaped her mouth as she sunk down to the floor, where she buried her head on her knees. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't call that man 'my Lord', not ever. He wasn't her Lord, would never be and she wouldn't pretend otherwise. She wasn't Severus who excelled in his role as a spy, even though he had to bend his knee to a monster like Lord Voldemort and follow the man's cruel orders. Hermione wasn't like that. She wasn't a Slytherin who would probably lie and pretend just to survive, or to get her wand back. But she _needed_ it back in order to get away from that place.

Without her magic, she was helpless, not even able to lock her room or make some light for herself. There were candles in her room, but no lighters or matches, as those were not used by wizards, which left her sitting in the darkness on the floor, shedding angry and desperate tears over her situation. She was afraid, no _terrified_ about what would happen next. What would her keeper do, when he realized that she would not apologize or call him by his supposed title?

Hermione didn't know and not knowing terrified her. Merlin, how much she wished for Severus right now. He would have been able to give her some advice, to help her out. Even if he wouldn't have known a way to escape, he would have been there for her, comforted her. But he wasn't here which left her alone and helpless.

But no… she _wasn't_ alone, Hermione realized, as she suddenly could have sworn to feel Severus through the bond. For weeks the connection between them had felt cold and more and more fragile. Now it felt _alive_ and _warm_.

"Severus," she mouthed silently and the tears streaming down her face suddenly were no longer tears of fear. They were happy tears, as she could suddenly feel the relief flooding her body. Her friend hadn't given her up, he thought about her and it wasn't in anger or disappointment. Suddenly Hermione was sure, that he still felt some sort of affection or friendship for her. Even if he wouldn't find a way to get her out, she realized that she wasn't alone. Severus was still her friend and that was something that monster wouldn't be able to take away from her. No matter if Hermione bent her knee for him or not.

sssssss

"Well, Mr Potter," Severus said looking at the green-eyed boy in front of him. "For some reason, the Headmaster decided, that you require an Auror guard for our…lessons."

The boy nodded, looking at him with Lily's eyes that shone with something like smug satisfaction. Severus stared back at him with a measuring gaze, before his eyes shifted to Moody, who was standing behind Potter with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He could only hope that Dumbledore had informed the Auror about his difficult situation.

"Well, Mr Potter. Before we start today's lesson, I'd like you to tell me about your approach to shield your thoughts so far. Because I've been … informed, that you've been experiencing strange dreams lately."

Potter stared at him in surprise. No wonder as Severus had usually been the one talking, before attacking the boy's mind over and over again. It was the worst approach to teach Occlumency to someone, but it was all he could risk with the boy being linked to the Dark Lord. "Well," Potter started staring at him nervously. "Hermione has shown me different meditation techniques that are supposed to help me empty my mind. It has a lot to do with breathing and relaxation."

Severus nodded forcing his features into a neutral expression. Then he motioned the boy to continue. Potter did so, after nervously clearing his throat.

"I'm trying to do these exercises when I'm lying in bed and usually they kind of help me to fall asleep."

"You try?" Severus asked, looking at Potter inquiringly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Lily's son cleared his throat. "Well, sometimes I'm just not in the right mood to do this, like when… when she was taken. It wouldn't have worked anyway."

He took a deep breath in the hope that it would help him not to snap at the little idiot. When that didn't help he pinched the bridge of his nose to help relieve the new tension that had set in. "Let me guess, that was the night you had said dream, didn't you?"

The boy nodded embarrassedly, staring at the floor in front of him, without saying a word. Severus looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Seeing any correlation, Mr Potter?"

The teenager nodded. "Yeah, Sir. I promise I'll do them every evening now, also when I'm angry or upset."

"_Especially_ when you're angry and upset," Severus corrected him. "Those seem to be the times when the connection is the strongest. But you seem to also experience these… visions during the day. What are you doing to avoid them during the daytime, boy?"

Potter stared at him with wide eyes. "Uh… nothing? What am I supposed to do? I can't very well run around with an empty head all day, can I? People would think I've suddenly gone barmy."

Severus slowly closed his eyes at the boy's stupidity, the effect had its intended effect since he could see the boy bristle. "You're not supposed to run around with an empty had, Potter. Occlumency is about deliberateness. Put all those feelings and thoughts away, that have no place during the day, all thoughts you don't want him to see or that are overly emotional. Every emotion is like a door to him, a door into your head. Every time you get angry, sad, upset it's like an invitation, do you understand?"

Potter stared at him with wide eyes, nodding slowly. "I do, Sir."

"Good. Then get those emotions and thoughts under control. You have two minutes," Severus said, staring at the teenager with his mouth set into a straight line.

The boy nodded and suddenly the nervousness started to radiate from him like in waves. Severus ignored it as much as he could and cast a silent tempus to see when the boy's time was over. Then he waited. He saw Potter eying his tempus charm with wide eyes and knew immediately, that had gotten distracted by it again. Moron!

"Alright, Mr Potter. Prepare yourself," he said, looking at Lily's son with black, occluded eyes. "Legillimens!"

It was far too easy to enter the boy's mind and what he found, was far from nothing. There were still snippets of thoughts about Hermione, evoked by the boy's guilt and doubts Severs could clearly feel within him. Severus knew those feelings well, but he ignored them and latched to the next best thought about Hermione and followed it. It was easy and Severus skipped through Potter's memories like through a picture book. And then suddenly he saw it, Hermione sleeping in a huge four-poster-bed, clad in a man's nightshirt and covered by silky purple covers. That memory felt different, like it didn't originally belong to Potter. And Severus knew right away, that it was _his_ and that it was _real_. After so many years of Occlumency and Legillimency training, he had gotten a good feeling for memories, that were tampered with and this one was not. The realisation of it let Severus pull back from the boy's head and it took him all willpower not to let his feelings be seen on his face.

Potter looked at him with wide eyes. "I… you saw it, didn't you? You saw Hermione…"

Severus' mouth twitched. "I _saw_, that you didn't empty your mind, Mr Potter. _Concentrate_, boy and try to get a reign on those emotions."

"How's that supposed to work?" the boy shouted, looking at him with wild eyes. "I can't just decide _not_ to feel, can I. Believe me, _I tried_. I don't want to feel all this _guilt_, these _regrets_, but I _do_. I'm not some cold, emotionless bastard." He spat those last words in Severus' direction and he knew immediately, that this was, how Potter saw him at this moment. He would have liked nothing more than to shout at the boy and to tell him that he hadn't been that way either, but that it had been the only way for him to protect those he loved and cared about. Sadly he couldn't as this would have given his loyalties away. And that he couldn't let happen.

For a while he just stared silently at the boy, let him squirm before he said: "Tell me, Mr Potter. Why do you want to learn Occlumency in the first place? Why does the Headmaster want you to learn it? What do you think?"

The Gryffindor stared at him with furrowed brows. "Well, obviously not all of those visions seem to be true, like the one that brought us to the ministry. This means that Voldemort can try to manipulate me through them, which wouldn't be good, right?"

Severus sighed in exasperation. "Well, it wasn't the vision that brought you to the ministry, but your stubbornness and stupidity, Potter," he said looking at his student with dark eyes. "But apart from that, I believe this is actually not the reason why the Headmaster wants you to finally learn. Due to your excursion to the Department of Mysteries the Open Link is now in the Dark Lords possession," Severus said, choosing the last word deliberately. "Currently he is trying to gain the girl's affection and trust. So tell me, Mr Potter, if the Dark Lord has access to your head, what will he try to learn from it?"

The penny had finally dropped this much was obvious from the boy's shocked expression. "Everything I know about her," he said, staring at Severus full of fear. "I know where her parents live, I know what she likes and…"

"Exactly, Mr Potter," Severus interrupted him with a nod. "So now tell me: is this guilt and the regrets you are feeling this strong that you won't be able to help your friend? _Do_ you want to help her?"

Potter nodded and finally Severus could see something like determination in his eyes. "Of course I do. Hermione is my friend, I'd do anything to help her."

"Good, Mr Potter. Then let's try this again, shall we?" Severus said raising his wand. "You've got two minutes to empty your mind."

"Yes, Sir," the boy replied, meeting his eyes with determination and for the first time in months Severus had the impression that these hours wouldn't be a total waste of his time.

ssssss

"Merlin Freddie, my back still hurts," George moaned while sitting down on one of the chairs in their lab.

"Yeah," Fred agreed, rubbing his sore muscles. "This was the worst and at the same time the best detention I've ever had. Merlin, Snape's really a devil with a wand. If he wasn't working for the Order I could have sworn he tried to kill us there."

"Well, the man definitely handed us our arses," George agreed with a snort. "But you know, I think we needed that. We've been nothing but stupid, short-sighted idiots. "So maybe it was necessary for us to get hexed within an inch of our lives to finally grow up."

His brother nodded, looking at their assembled joke items in despair. "Yeah, I know. Opening the shop is or dream, but I can't help but ask myself if we would have been able to save Hermione if we had spent the time we put into creating that stuff into duelling practise. I mean, losing against Voldemort is one thing, but Snape is just one teacher and the two of us weren't even able to land a single hit. We're finishing school in just a few weeks, for Merlin's sake."

George nodded darkly. "Yeah, but most of our Defence teachers were crappy at best. We probably don't know half of the stuff we're supposed to know and I bet Voldemort and his lackeys do know some advanced, dark magic. We'll need to find a way to handle it."

"Yeah," Fred agreed with a sigh. "And we should practise duelling as soon as possible. Do you think Dumbledore would agree to teach us some stuff?"

"After we didn't tell him about Hermione being the Open Link, even though it was our job finding the OL?" George asked with a snort. "Probably not. Besides, I'm pretty sure he's terribly busy finding a way to get Hermione back."

"True," his brother agreed with a sigh. "Then we'll need to find somebody else. As soon as we finished school we could ask Remus or Sirius. And for now, we'll teach ourselves."

"Alright. We'll see if we can find some useful spells in the library. And then we'll try warding this room and do some training every day. We can duel each other for now," George suggested, looking through the room with furrowed brows. "And afterwards we could do some inventing."

His brother shook his head. "No Georgie. Remember? We need to rethink our priorities. I'm not working on the joke shop until we've gotten Hermione back."

The other twin nodded. "Don't worry Freddy, because that's not what I was suggesting. I thought we could put our clever heads together to come up with something that might help us, to get our girl out. Remember the Peruvian Darkness Powder we used to escape the Great Hall? Something like that."

Fred nodded with wide eyes. "Maybe shield cloaks. Or we could try designing a port key, which could get her to us…" he started, his head already brimming with possibilities, while his brother's grin got wider and wider.

"I see you get the idea, twin o' mine," he said, before turning around and starting to box several products, they would not need in the near future. But suddenly he stopped, a thick leather-bound book in hand. "We never read it," George said, turning back to his brother with a sad look on his face.

"Sirius' book?" Fred asked looking at his brother with a raised eyebrow.

George nodded. "Yeah. _Why_ did we never read it, Fred? We both wanted her, still do actually. So why didn't we sit down to read that damned book?"

His twin shook his head with a regretful sigh. "Not sure about you, Georgie, but I thought we would have time. I thought she wouldn't go anywhere so I didn't want to rush things. Let her get used to the loss of her parents and all that."

"Well, that didn't stop us from kissing her though, did it? Maybe if we would have done some research beforehand… what if there _is_ a way for Hermione to bond herself to the two of us? Maybe she would have done it… then You-Know-Who could no longer touch her…" George pulled his hair in frustration. His twin, feeling his misery, was at his side a moment later.

"Don't go crazy over Maybes Georgie," he said, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "What's done is done. We did a lot of stupid things in the last months, brother, things we regret now. But I tell you what: we'll do better from now on. And we'll start by reading that book, alright?"

George nodded, locking eyes with Fred. "Alright."


	38. Chapter 38

A.N.: Hey guys. I hope your weekend is going good, so far. Here's a new chapter for you. I hope you like it. I had lots of help from my friend Stephanie MRV. She's become my sounding board for this story by now. :-)

Chapter 38: The pride of a lioness

Three long days and there was still no sign of his lioness giving up and asking for her wand. The girl was a mystery to him – a mystery he could not solve. He had been so sure she had been near her breaking point when he had listened to her cries and sobs after they had come back from the Manor. He _knew_ that giving up her wand had been a hard blow for her - it was one of the hardest punishments for a witch or wizard, after all, having most of them begging for forgiveness or for being tortured instead within mere hours. But not his prize. Come next morning she strode down the stairs with her head held high, the fire back in her eyes. She had exchanged the gown he had provided for her the evening before for a simple, brown dress that would have everybody else made look plain - but not her. She wore it like a Queen, her wild hair surrounding her head like a halo. He had no idea how she was doing it, serving herself with her bare hands like it was nothing. All of her favourite foods were now at his side of the table, right in front of him, but when he hoped that she would maybe ask him to pass her something, he was mistaken.

His lioness walked right in front of him and took what she wanted, before casually strolling back to her seat and eating without saying a word. She would answer him when he directly asked her something, but her answers were always short and brief. It was frustrating beyond measure.

He wasn't used to being ignored. In his youth it had been easy for him to charm the people around him, gain their respect and admiration and manipulate them. Later on, he had his followers who were always eager to please him in the hope to be rewarded or at least seen by him. His prize, on the other hand, didn't seem to want anything from him. Not once did she try to make conversation or at least ask him for something. She didn't beg for her freedom or even her wand, no. Most of the time she simply treated him like he wasn't even in the room and Lord Voldemort knew, that it couldn't go on like this. He needed something to bait the girl, or maybe someone. What about the girl's parents? They were Muggles and should be easy to find, right? Maybe he could bring them into the house? His girl would surely be pleased to see them again and maybe their presence could motivate her to be more… cooperative. But most importantly: he couldn't allow those Muggles to fall into the Headmaster's hands because he was sure that manipulative old goat had no qualms using them to drive his girl away from him. He couldn't let this happen. Well, that made the decision easy then. He couldn't go himself, of course, letting the girl alone in that house wouldn't be a good idea. Luckily Lucius was trustworthy enough and the man knew how to be discrete.

"I'll have a visitor after breakfast," he announced, looking at the silent girl sitting at the other end of the table. For a moment there was no reaction from her, but then she put her spoon down and looked at him with a neutral expression.

"Is that an indirect request to stay in my room?" she asked neutrally while watching him with her caramel-brown eyes without fear.

"Not in the least. I meant it when I told you, that you can access all rooms of the house at any time, even mine if you wish to do so. I merely wanted to avoid you being intimidated by the sudden appearance of one of my followers in the house. But you don't need to worry, my Dear. None of them will touch you," he assured her with a soothing smile.

She shrugged. "If you say so." With that she was already getting up, folding her napkin perfectly before placing it on the table. There were no words of goodbye from her when she left the room a moment later, not even a last look from her in his direction. He followed her retreating figure with his eyes while shaking his head in disappointment. This couldn't go on like this. He finally needed a way to make her see him, or at least start talking to him. Luckily Lucius shouldn't have any problems returning with her parents in a matter of hours, which meant that dinner would hopefully be a much more _lively_ affair.

sssssssssss

What did the old coot want of him this time, Severus asked himself while trying to find a comfortable position on the Headmaster's damned cushioned chair. It was of no use. The thing was probably designed to make him squirm but Severus refused to behave or feel like a damned schoolboy in front of that man ever again.

"Ah Severus," he was greeted by the old man with a welcoming smile. "How fortunate that you could follow my invitation right away. Lemon Drop?"

Severus negated the offered sweets with an annoyed shake of his head. "Why did you call me, Headmaster? Do you have news concerning Miss Granger?"

Albus' blue eyes twinkled amusedly. "In fact, I do have some news. The Ministry has decided to try tracking the girl's wand. I expect they'll send a team of Aurors in the next days in the hope to rescue the Open Link."

Severus rolled his eyes annoyedly. "I told you she no longer has the wand, Albus, which means that they could easily be led in a trap."

The Headmaster sipped his tea with a small smile playing around his lips. "Well, my friend. We can't very well tell them that little piece of information now, can we? It would probably imperil your position as a spy, which is unfortunately for them not an option _at the moment_."

Severus heard him emphasize the last words, but chose to ignore it. He knew already that the Headmaster would only protect his position, as long as he was still of use for him. But that couldn't be helped, which meant that he needed to be careful. "Anything else?"

"There is, indeed, something else," the Headmaster started his gaze suddenly analysing him. "A day after the Open Link disappeared from the Ministry I went to find the girl's parents. Unfortunately, the house was already empty and her parents were nowhere to be found. I thought Tom might have gotten there first, but I wasn't sure as the house didn't look like it had suffered a typical Death Eater raid."

Severus studied the man in front of him, without giving anything away through his expression. He had the feeling that this wasn't the end of the story and he was right.

"Interestingly there was another visitor at Miss Granger's house today and he, too, seemed to be looking for her parents. Considering that it was your friend Lucius I think it's safe to assume, that Tom isn't the one housing her parents right now. So the question remains: Who is?" Albus Dumbledore studied him inquisitively and Severus was thankful for his years of Occlumency training. That old coot would learn nothing from him and neither would his master.

"That's an interesting question, indeed. Have you considered them simply moving house, or being on vacation?"

"The latter seems unlikely, as the house is empty and currently for sale." The Headmaster sighed. "Tell me, Severus. Do you know where her parents are?"

"No," Severus replied honestly, meeting the Headmasters blue eyes with his own. It wasn't a lie. He didn't know where they were, no longer, as he had extracted the memory of it and hidden it away with the Granger's hairs that Hermione had collected from them. "I don't know where they are, Albus. Obviously, Miss Granger had a great many secrets, not just from you, but also from her friends. I expect her not having told anyone of her parent's whereabouts, a decision which I think is a wise one, don't you think? Too many people are interested in winning her over or manipulating her. Her parents would have been an easy way to do so, don't you think?" He said with a slight lilt in his tone at the last question.

Albus' mouth twitched and it wasn't in amusement. "Indeed. We can only hope that the Open Link has hidden them well, as I don't want to imagine what Tom would do to them if he finds them. I could have protected them by a Fidelius Charm."

Severus sighed. "I'm sure you could have done that," he agreed, getting up from that damned chair. _That would have only protected them from the Dark Lord_, Severus added in his thoughts. _But who would have protected them from you?_

ssssssssssss

Hermione decided to spend the next hours of the day in the library. When Voldemort – she forced herself to call him by his name now, at least in her head – expected a visitor, then it meant he would be sitting on his black throne, which meant that she would have the library to herself. Finally!

The room was great and Hermione loved the collection of books it contained. Now and then she had sneaked inside and taken some of the books into her room. But that wasn't the same as browsing the huge shelves in peace and lounging on one of the large cushioned window sills afterwards while getting lost between the pages of a large, old tome. Sitting here undisturbed almost let her feel happy again because while she read, nothing else mattered to her, not even the fact that she was trapped in a house with the evilest man in existence without her wand.

"Advanced Transfiguration, Miss Granger? Do you have a special interest in that topic?" she suddenly heard his voice to her left, snapping her back to her current situation. He was back which meant that he must have finished whatever business kept him away from the library. Hermione looked up at him, hastily shutting her book in her lap. The man watched her with a little smile on his thin, white lips, his eyes focussing her with an intensity that told her, that she wouldn't be able to simply ignore his question. She sighed.

"It was my favourite topic in school, next to charms," she said casually, putting the book aside. She just wanted to get up and leave the room, when she saw him shake his head holding her back with a gesture of his hand.

"No running away today, my little lioness. I'd like to have a little chat with you and this place is much better suited than the room downstairs, don't you think?" His tone was friendly but Hermione could feel that she couldn't deny his request without getting herself into more trouble and she really didn't want to find out how he would punish her this time. She nodded, causing him to widen his smile. "Very good," he replied summoning himself a wingchair from the other end of the room. This time he used his wand and Hermione couldn't help but study the pale piece of wood in his bony fingers. He must have felt her gaze, as he looked at her with an understanding smile on his face.

"Do you miss being able to use magic my girl?" he asked, carefully studying her face. "I can imagine it makes one feel incomplete, doesn't it?"

Hermione weighed her head while she internally shuddered at the way he called her _his girl_. "In a way," she admitted while continuing to study his wand. "It has been part of my life for several years now and it would be a lie to say, that I don't miss being able to do magic."

He must have liked her answer, as his eyes suddenly had a strange glint in them. But if he hoped that she would beg him for forgiveness, then he would soon discover, that she would not do so. "Understandable. It's what makes us special, after all," her keeper said, pocketing his wand inside his black robes. Did he ever wear another colour than black? Probably not.

Hermione shook her head with a smile, suddenly intrigued by the topic of the discussion. "You really think so? I don't," she said looking at the man in front of her. "Even before I knew I was a witch, I was different from the kids around me and it wasn't because of the accidental magic happening around me. I was also different from the other students at Hogwarts, even though we were all able to use a wand." She looked at him with a raised chin. "It is not using magic that is making me different or _special_, how you call it."

He looked at her for a long while, studying her features with red eyes. Did he try to decide if she was lying? "Magic isn't the _only_ thing that's making you special, my Dear," he finally said looking at her with glowing eyes. "I can see that now."

Hermione didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. She had hoped to convince him to give back her wand, as soon as he realized that his punishment wasn't working. But it didn't look like he was about to do that. Instead, he looked even more interested in her, than he had before, a realisation she didn't like at all. She sighed, before looking away from him and staring into her lap.

"But that wasn't I wanted to talk to you about," she heard him say and suddenly there was something in his voice that made her pause. "You see, today I asked Lucius to get your parents for you."

Hermione felt herself stiffen, but forced herself to not look up to him. She could tell that he was studying her reaction, but she remained silent.

"Unfortunately they didn't seem to be at home any longer, as the place was completely empty," the man continued in a regretful tone. "Looks, like somebody else already foresaw that move."

She forced herself to look up at him, keeping her breathing as even as possible even though she could feel her heart beating heavily in her chest. Her parents were safe, she told herself in the hope that it would help her stay calm. "You wanted to capture my parents," she said tonelessly looking into his eyes. "Why? To torture them? Kill them?"

He shook his head with a small smile. "Of course not. I am not a monster, Miss Granger and I hope you'll realize that sooner or later. Everything I do has a purpose and my purpose right now is to convince you to think outside the box Hogwarts has captured your precious, intelligent mind in."

Hermione stared at him speechlessly. Did he really think he could convince her of his cause? That was ridiculous! "A purpose, you say. What is the purpose of torturing and killing Muggles then?" she asked him, staring at him with her jaw set in a locked position to stop herself from snarling at him.

Voldemort chuckled. "What is the purpose of shooting Deer in the forest? Of keeping animals caged in a zoo or watching a lion perform a trick in a circus?" he asked back, staring at her questioningly.

Hermione thought. "I guess people are doing it for amusement," she replied beginning to guess his answer of her question. It disgusted her.

He nodded. "Correct. Amusement. Not my amusement, Miss Granger, but my followers do have a certain appetite that I need to satisfy now and then. Torturing your parents would not have done that, as I will never invite more than one of my Death Eaters here, at the same time. And as I said, I do not strive for that sort of _entertainment_."

The way he said that last word made her shudder. She felt sick, all of a sudden. Still, she forced herself to ask: "What is it you strive for then? What do you want?"

He looked at her with an unsettling smile. "Everything. I want everything."

Hermione could not help shaking her head in disbelief. "Nobody can have everything. The world is not working like this."

"Who said this? Your precious Headmaster?" Voldemort asked, looking at her questioningly. "Or is this your personal opinion?"

She blinked confusedly. "Nobody has told me anything, it's just a fact. You can't just rule the whole world, that's what history teaches us. Many have tried, but none of them succeeded in the end. A single person simply cannot rule this planet unless their power was unparalleled by those around them and even then they need an army who was not only unfailingly loyal but also efficient. You are not a god. Even if you achieve immortality of some kind your powers are still those of a mortal man. One who can still be killed, even if now more difficult. You do not have an army who is so faithful and efficient to carry out your orders."

"So?" he promptly asked her. "That doesn't mean it's not possible. One just needs the right idea and enough ambition. Think about it. What does a world split between different rulers lead to? Sooner or later there's always a war. Is it supposed to go on like this forever?"

She furrowed her brows, her head contemplating his arguments. "So you rather unite the world by oppressing and killing the Muggles? You think that's better, that there would be fewer victims? Because I doubt it. "

He shook his head with a smile. "This is not just about suppressing Muggles, my Dear. It's about teaching them their place in the hope to make this world safe for wizards to live in freedom, without needing to hide themselves ever again. Just imagine your parents being able to finally visit and see Hogwarts…"

"Suppressing? I think you mean oppressing. Don't sugar coat what you mean with me, you are after all keeping me captive. So mentioning my parents being able to see Hogwarts is just a bald-faced lie," she spat, her eyes flashing. "So try to be consistent in the picture you are trying to paint. I agree in there being an all magical enclave. It would be fantastic to be able to embrace magic since birth. That, however, is not the fault of any muggle-born. The government could have brought us in early and taught us about our heritage but didn't. How is that my fault? I didn't turn my back on magic, I never knew it existed until I was eleven, almost twelve. I would have embraced my life as a witch if I could have. My parents have supported me the entire way and I'm sure they would have been glad if somebody explained my accidental magic to them. They are _prou_d of my magic. I know not every muggle-born can say the same but that doesn't mean any of them should be oppressed because they gave birth to a magical child. They should be heralded for giving birth to a witch and not another muggle. Purebloods are so inbred that their magic and mental faculties are deteriorating. You cannot deny that some of them are dumber than a ten-year-old. Not to mention the awful looks they pass on."

Hermione heard him snort at her words, a sound that she didn't expect to ever hear from him. In fact, she had been sure that he would snap or chastise her for her boldness, but he didn't. Instead, he looked at her with glowing eyes. She tried not to think too much about it and continued: "Your whole argumentation bases on the assumption, that Muggles are lesser then wizards and need to accept that. But what if they are not? What if they are just different? They managed to do incredible things like flying to the moon. Tell me a single wizard that was able to do that."

"You mean incredible things like fighting a war with millions of deaths? Like burning witches and wizards during the witch hunts? Or polluting the environment with their inventions, leading to the extinction of thousands of species? Those inventions are nothing but crutches, my girl, crutches they need because they do not have magic, don't you think?"

She could feel her head getting more and more fuzzy and confused. He did have a point, she thought, but that didn't make him right, did it? But still… "I don't know what to think, right now. Please excuse me, I'm going to my room."

He looked at her with an understanding smile. "Do that and take your time to think about everything I told you. And when you're finished, I want you to ask yourself a question: What is it that _you_ want? Because I think it's important for you to find out."

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	39. Chapter 39

A.N.: Hey guys, Here's another chapter for you. I know some of you do miss the Hermione/twin-interaction. I do too, but this second part is important for Hermione figuring out everything she has to about Voldemort. Because I intend to have a different solution for him and his Horcruxes… This story is growing and growing. I currently have 44 chapters finished and my current estimate is that there might be around 90 chapters in total. Thank you for every comment you're leaving for me to find. They mean the world to me in this time of social isolation.

Chapter 39: Think outside of the box

Hermione didn't know what to think. Her thoughts kept running in circles, mulling over the arguments Lord Voldemort had presented her with. She knew in her bones, that he was wrong, but some of the things he said did make sense, or at least she didn't find an argument against them right away. The Muggle's technology _was_ slowly destroying the planet, there was enough proof of that. But that didn't mean they were lesser than wizards, just because they didn't have magic, right?

Hermione sighed. Locking herself in her room didn't make things better. She felt herself getting restless, while her head was working in overdrive. But it wouldn't find a solution, Hermione knew from experience, not tonight when Voldemort's words were fresh in her head. God, she needed out, needed some fresh air. But she was a prisoner in this house, no matter what her keeper called her, which only left her with one place to retreat to.

The library was quiet when she entered it, Voldemort's usual reading-spot empty to her big relief. She didn't want to continue this discussion with him, not as long as she didn't find the right arguments against his twisted view of the world. Still, there was a light, somewhere in the back of the room and when Hermione strode closer she saw that there was a lone candle burning on a desk, which she hadn't realized was there before tonight. Was that Voldemort's desk? Probably. Who else's would it be?

Hermione couldn't help her curiosity and strode closer. She knew that it probably wasn't a good idea to snoop, otherwise Voldemort had told her, that there were no forbidden rooms or places for her in that house. The desk was covered in parchments and books, while a quill waited in its inkwell to be used again. Whoever was working here, was probably just taking a break, Hermione realized, which meant, that she could probably only take a quick look. Still, her eyes were drawn to the biggest scroll in the middle, that was containing arithmantic equations and on the bottom something, that was looking like a warding scheme. Hermione edged closer. Unfortunately, she didn't know much about warding, as it wasn't taught in Hogwarts, but the books she had read in the last days taught her enough to realize, that the wards analysed here were far from simple.

"Get away from my stuff," a voice behind her commanded, making Hermione turn around with wide eyes. Behind her was that pale blonde wizard she had met in the library before, staring at her with a dark, distrustful expression. She hastily took a step back.

"Sorry, I didn't want to snoop," she said smiling apologetically. The man's expression remained unimpressed.

"And still you did." He was at his desk a moment later, hastily pulling his wand out of his robes to pack up the stuff he had left on the desk. "It's curiosity that killed the cat, you know?"

"Was that a threat?" Hermione asked, staring at the man in disbelief.

He shook his head. "No, it's a saying and in this house, it's proved to be true. So keep away from me and my stuff, you hear me?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I heard you. Sorry, I'll be going then."

The stranger waved her off. "No need. I'm already on my way out." With that, he summoned his stuff and turned around, without saying goodbye. Hermione stared at his retreating figure with furrowed brows. Who _was_ that stranger? And more importantly: what was he hiding?

ssssssss

It had been three days since their little talk in the library but his hope that his lioness would try to continue their conversation had been a futile one. He had enjoyed listening to her arguments and the passion in her voice, while she presented them to him. It had been ages ago that someone dared to disagree with him, to question his motives. And Lord Voldemort found, that he secretly enjoyed arguing with her. It made him feel more alive than he had in years.

Something in her eyes had changed and he found her regularly staring at him when she thought he wasn't looking. There was a contemplative look in them now like she was trying to solve some kind of complicated puzzle and considering that this puzzle was probably him, he found that he liked that look. He had gotten her thinking, maybe even questioning that old manipulator's lies. That was the first step but another one would have to follow soon. Luckily he had just the right idea.

"We're making a little trip tonight," he announced, looking at his prize with a smile. She didn't say anything in return, but he didn't expect her to, as she rarely spoke to him. "You and I will take a little stroll outside of the wards."

Her eyes snapped up and fixed him with a surprised look in them. "You're taking me on a walk? Really?" she asked her voice full of disbelief. And somehow he got the feeling, that the prospect pleased her. Interesting.

"Not _only_ a walk, my Dear," he said, following the delicate curve of her neck. "But I'm sure we can make a little detour if that's what you wish. Just don't try running away. Those woods are endless and there're some werewolves in the area. I'm mostly on friendly terms with them, but some of them are known to have quite an appetite."

He saw her shiver with wide eyes and he was sure his subtle warning had been understood. Good. Greyback made an efficient guard dog, as the forest around his house was almost unpassable. Still, Voldemort didn't trust him when it came to women, especially not with his prize. He didn't even want to have him near her.

"Where are we going?" she asked an hour later. He had provided some ankle-high bootees for her and now his price was clad in a warm woollen coat with a big hood and warm mitts. While she strolled through the snow at his side, her breath left her mouth in small visible puffs. Stubborn as she was she had refused to accept a warming charm to be cast on her.

"Though the wards. They are a bit further from the house. When we go through, you'll have to accept my arm, as I am the only one able to let you pass them," he said, seeing with satisfaction that her eyes went wide as she contemplated that bit of information. He smiled, as he was quite proud of the design himself. "My Death Eaters bear my mark, which allows them to pass the wards. As you are still unmarked, you'll need some sort of physical contact to me to be able to get through."

"I'll _never _be marked," she answered back to him with steel in her voice.

He chuckled. "I don't expect you too. You're not kettle, you're my Queen."

She nodded even though a shiver ran down her spine. She didn't want him to make her his Queen either, because that would leave a mark on her too, not a visible one but equally chilling. "What happens to those who try anyway?" she asked, decidedly not looking into his direction.

He smirked. "What do you think? They are getting punished, painfully and have to realize that they simply cannot pass. Be assured that none of them tries a second time."

His prize nodded silently, still staring at the snow in front of her feet. He couldn't wait for her to talk to him again. Luckily they were almost there and the little surprise he had thought out would most likely get her talking.

"We're almost there," he warned, silently offering his arm. She looked at it in silence for a short moment, before blinking slowly and finally taking it. He could see her square her shoulders before she resumed walking at his side. She held herself like a queen, he realized and started musing how it would be to present her to all of his followers one day – when she was finally his.

No more than five minutes later they reached a little clearing in the forest, a spot he deemed perfect for what he had in mind. He stopped, stepping in the middle, while his prize waited some steps away staring at him cautiously.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, valiantly trying to keep the nervousness radiating from her voice.

He smirked. "We're setting a trap, my Dear," he said, casually pulling her wand out of his robes. And suddenly she understood, as her eyes went wide with fear.

"No," she breathed, staring at the piece of wood in his hands in panic. "Please no."

Lord Voldemort shook his head with a smile. "I'm sorry my Dear, but I do have a war to win. Apart from that I still do need to teach you a lesson." With that, he weighted her wand in his hands. He could already feel it pulsing in his palm, desperate to resist him. Winning a duel with it would be almost impossible, as this wand seemed to be as stubborn as the witch it belonged to, but luckily a little, harmless spell would be enough to set of any tracking charms, that might have been placed on it.

He could see her shiver on her spot, but it didn't matter. His prize needed to learn her lesson, no matter how little she liked it. And he would be teaching it to her today. "Lumos," he whispered and after a moment the tip of the wand slowly started to glow. He could feel the wand trying to resist him, refuse his orders, but it was too late. A moment later he could hear the first cracks of apparation to his right and he looked into that direction with a predatory smirk on his face. It was time to play.

ssssssss

It had been days of waiting until the tracking of Hermione Granger's wand finally brought results. Dolores had to fight tooth and nail with those morons in the ministry to finally get the permission to request the wand's registration number from Olivander, but with the Minister's help, she had finally been successful. Casting* the tracking spell had been as easy as getting her own team of Aurors for the hunt of the Open Link. Luckily the Minister was desperate for results and so Dolores now had a team of four Aurors waiting to capture that annoying little chit with her. The girl had made her look stupid long enough, but not any longer. As soon as the girl cast her next spell, she would be hers.

It was four long days of waiting until the alarm finally went off. They knew they probably had to be fast and so it was only a few seconds until Dolores and her Aurors disapparated. They materialized on some kind of clearing, but it wasn't in the forbidden forest, this much could Dolores tell. In front of her wasn't Miss Granger though but… who was that supposed to be? Was that some kind of Halloween joke?

"Run!" she heard a voice from somewhere to her left and she knew away, that it was her, the Open Link. Dolores turned around with a smile and a dark glint in her eyes.

"Ah, there you are, girl. If this is again some of your stupid tricks then I must disappoint you. You're not going to scare me away with one of your transfigured boy-friends. So, come here or do you want those Aurors to get you for me?"

The girl stared at her with wide, scared eyes. Finally, she seemed to have understood, that the game was over, for her. "This is not…" she said but was cut off by the transfigured boy in front of her.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, High Inquisitor, but the Open Link is not going anywhere with you," he said, casually pulling out a wand from his black robes. She looked at the insolent brat with a raised eyebrow.

"That remains to be seen, Mr Weasley," she said pulling out her own wand. "Aurors, capture the girl. I'll take care of that annoying Gryffindor brat."

ssssssss

It was like watching a horror movie. Those Aurors were directly walking into a trap and they weren't even realizing it. Two of them looked somewhat uncomfortable in Voldemort's direction, but only for a moment. Then, they pulled out their wands, moving into her direction. Idiots.

They didn't even manage to take two steps, before they were all on the floor, unconscious or moaning in pain. It had taken Voldemort all but one spell, to take them down, while he turned his back unconcernedly at Professor Umbridge, like she wasn't even worth the bother.

"What have you done, you stupid…" she shrieked, staring at the man in front of her with an enraged expression. Voldemort turned to her with an amused little smile on his face, which made him look even scarier.

"Careful, witch," he said, whipping his wand in her direction and Hermione could see Professor Umbridge's body freeze immediately, before it simply fell to the side like a felled tree. Hermione closed her eyes in despair. She knew what would happen to these people, what Voldemort would do to them.

"That was almost too easy," he said with a voice that sounded smug and disappointed at the same time. "Lucius was right, that this woman is nothing more than a menace in pink."

Hermione swallowed, before forcing herself to open her eyes. "What… what will you do to them?" she asked, looking at the defeated Aurors with wide eyes. Some of them seemed to be in pain but it didn't look like they were under torture, not yet.

"What do you think I'll do?" he returned the question, walking towards her in total ignorance of the people at his feet. It was like they were nothing more than bugs on the floor to him.

Hermione shuddered. "You'll kill them, probably torture them beforehand, won't you?" she said, feeling the tears rise behind her eyes. He stared at her with glinting eyes.

"Clever girl," he said, pulling out his wand. "We'll use them to send a message to those idiots in the Ministry, shall we? We don't want them to send more people after you, right?"

Hermione felt like she was going to be sick. "Please don't," she said looking at the men and women in front of her with wide eyes. Some of them must have finally realized the situation they were in, as they tried to get up to their feed or drag themselves away on the floor. "Please don't hurt them," she begged, stepping closer to Voldemort. "Please."

He turned around to her, with an amused smile on his lips. "The Avada spell it totally painless, I can assure you," he said, while his eyes studied her from head to toe. "I can make it quick if it pleases you."

She shuddered. "No…I…," she said, feeling her heart picking up speed. "I don't want you to kill them, _pleas_e. They were just following orders…" she said her voice quivering. She could feel herself start to sway, as she was feeling more and more faint.

He shook his head with a disappointed smile. "Do you know why I decided to set up this little trap, my Dear? This is not about torturing and killing Aurors. I told you everything I do, has a purpose and the purpose of this is teaching you a lesson."

Hermione stared at the madman with wide eyes. "A lesson? What kind of lesson's that supposed to be?"

At that, his smile turned wolfish. "To think outside the box, of course. So tell me, Miss Granger, what is it that you want? And what do you need to do to make it happen?"

For a short moment, her mind refused to work and Hermione just stared at Voldemort with her mouth open. But then she caught herself, closed her mouth and swallowed. She could do that, Hermione told herself, taking a deep breath in the hope to steady herself. She could find a way to save them, to maybe even save herself. She was said to be the brightest witch of her age, after all, and all it took was nerves and strong Occlumency walls. "I want everything," she said, looking at the man in front of her with sudden fire in her eyes. "But not in the way you do. I want to make this world a better place for everybody, wizards and muggles. I want to find a way to combine technology and magic and a way to integrate magical creatures into society, not just as slaves or outsiders."

He saw him staring at her with red-glowing eyes, nodding with a pleased smile on his lips. She didn't flinch under his gaze, even though she would probably still see these eyes when she closed her eyes at night. "I know that those things are probably out of my reach, but I want them anyway. To achieve them I'd have to learn as much as I can, which will be difficult now that I can't even take my OWLs or use my wand." Hermione let her eyes flash at that, clearly showing her dissatisfaction.

Her keeper flashed her a generous smile. "Both are things that can be arranged, my Dear," he said opening his arms in her direction, like some kind of invitation. She didn't move.

"Can it? After you killed those Aurors and the High Inquisitor, to send a message or whatever it is that you're intending to do? I doubt it. One can only take the exams at Hogwarts or directly at the Ministry and both paths seem closed for me." With that she started pacing, staring at the men and women at the ground with unseeing eyes. The woman, that was in front of her stared at her with wide, pleading eyes. She forced herself to look at her but wiped every trace of sympathy from her face. It was important that Voldemort didn't sense her true feelings right now, because she could feel his gaze lingering on her face.

"There's always a way to get what you want, my Dear," he said and Hermione could feel him stepping closer to her. She didn't move but raised her eyes again to meet his red ones without flinching. "Those idiots mean nothing to me. We can obliviate them and send them back if that is what you want. We can make your dreams come true, my girl, _we_ not one of us alone." With that he was next to her, his arm suddenly on her shoulder. A shudder ran down her spine and she wanted nothing more than to pull back from him. But she couldn't. Too much was at stake.

Hermione shook her head with a sad expression. "I know. But I am also aware that everything comes at a price, for all of us. So tell me, what will be the price for those Auror's lives, or for getting my wand back?"

Voldemort smiled, while lightly squeezing her shoulder. "You'll find, my Dear, that I can be a very generous man. I'll obliviate those idiots and sent them back."

She stared at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "You will? This is not some sort of trick?"

At that, his smile turned to one of amusement. "No trick my Dear. I'll obliviate and send back all of them, without expecting anything in return. Well, all of them but her," he corrected himself, suddenly staring at Professor Umbridge with a predatory smile. "because I think this one will be quite useful for your next lesson."

Even though the High Inquisitor was still motionless on the floor, Hermione could see her eyes move towards her. They were full of terror and fright. It was obvious that Dolores Umbridge had finally understood, that this was not Fred or George Weasley in disguise and now desperately wished to be somewhere else. Hermione couldn't help her, she realized, at least not right now.

"Alright," she said, staring at her keeper with determination in the eyes, even though her heart was heavy as a rock. "Keep her. But this lesson you intend better be a good one."

sssssss


	40. Chapter 40

A.N.: Alright, here's the next chapter for you. I don't have a good day today, as work starts eating up more and more of my time and nerves. And I hate that… I hope you're coping better than I am, my friends, where ever you are. My thoughts are with you.

Chapter 40: The pet

Hermione was by no means a Slytherin, not even remotely. She wore her heart on her sleeve; well she _had_ done it before Severus had started teaching her Occlumency. Luckily her friend had been a good teacher and Hermione was an attentive student, no matter how uninteresting the topic. And Occlumency had always fascinated her.

She would need every ounce of self-control if she wanted to make it through the next weeks and still stay sane. Because even if Hermione was proud of being a Gryffindor, boldness and open resistance would not get her through this and away from this madman. It would not bring back her wand or save the lives of innocents. No matter how little she liked it, she would have to play along, at least a bit.

The way back to the house was a long one. Voldemort led her on his arm and she let him do it, even after they had passed the wards. Compared to everything else he could ask of her it was a small sacrifice and hopefully a good way to show him, how grateful she was that he spared those Auror's lives. Professor Umbridge was levitated right in front of them and Hermione could see her eyes looking at the two of them in panic. But she forced herself to show no reaction to it. It was for the woman's safety.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as soon as they had reached the house. Lord Voldemort hadn't even hesitated and led her up the stairs, where he led them in the opposite direction of the library.

The man smirked. "I thought we'd start with your lesson right away. Ma study is down the hallway, as you might know. We can modify it to house your lessons."

Hermione shuddered. What kind of lessons were that supposed to be? Considering that he needed Professor Umbridge for them, they surely wouldn't prepare her for her OWLs, she realized with a shudder.

Voldemorts study was huge. Apart from a gigantic desk that was made out of dark wood that was engraved with various runes in contained two more shelves with books and Hermione couldn't help but ask herself, why those were here and not in the library. Were those the books he used regularly? Or did they contain sensitive information? Possibly. It was definitely worth finding out.

Voldemort let Professor Umbridge's paralyzed body sink to the floor and then closed the door to the room with a silent spell. Then he stepped to Hermione, ignoring the woman of the floor for now. She could suddenly feel his eyes on her and she was sure, that he carefully watched her now.

"Now tell me, my Dear, who is that woman on the floor?" he asked, slowly circling her like the predator that he was. Hermione could feel her heart pick up speed. Was that some sort of test?

"This is Professor Umbridge, School Counsellor and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts," she replied truthfully, staring at the witch in front of her with a neutral expression.

Voldemort nodded. "And what do you think about her?" he added, his eyes fixing her with a dangerous glint in them.

Hermione thought carefully but no matter how much she tried, there weren't many positive things coming to her mind. "I…" She paused, taking a deep breath. "I don't think she's a very good teacher. Most of her lessons focussed on finding the Open Link, not about teaching teenagers something useful. I think she only told us the facts he thought would drive me to knock on her door and ask for help."

"You didn't though. Why?" her keeper continued asking.

"Because I didn't trust her," Hermione replied without hesitation. "I don't think she was interested in helping me, just in using me. And I don't want to be used – _by anybody_."

Another nod from him and then: "Why don't you trust her? Why did you think she would use you?"

Hermione furrowed her brows. Why was he asking her these things? She started gnawing on her bottom lip before she caught herself doing it and hastily stopped. Alright, she thought, fighting for control over her nervousness. She could do that. "She tortured students during detention," Hermione finally said, her eyes now focussing the woman on the floor. "She tortured my friends with a Blood Quill."

Suddenly the man was next to her, staring down at the woman on the floor with an amused smile on his lips. "Did she?" he asked, before fixing his eyes back on Hermione. "Do you think she would do it again?"

"Yes." The answer was an easy one. "I think she enjoys doing it, enjoys seeing people suffer or feel helpless."

The man next to her nodded. "Would you like to change that, my Dear?"

Hermione shuddered. His tone chilled her to the bone. "Yes," she said, hastily adding: "but not through killing her."

Voldemort smirked. "I don't expect you to. You're the one in control, the one making the decisions, Miss Granger. Do you like that? Do you like being in control?" he whispered into her ear, almost purring the words.

Her neck prickled in alarm while her stomach gave a violent lurch. She could almost see the hook he placed in front of her, in the hope to catch her. _Careful now, _she thought. "I dislike being _not_ in control," she answered, focussing him.

"But you are. So tell me now, you don't want Professor Umbridge to continue torturing your fellow classmates, or any other persons for that matter, do you? How are you going to achieve that?" Hermione could feel him watching her, waiting for her reaction. What was she supposed to say, supposed to _do_?

"I…" she started, feeling her heart pick up speed even though her Occlumency walls were in place. But then she suddenly had an idea and she looked at the man next to her with her lips twitching into a smile. "How difficult is it for you to procure a Blood Quill?"

sssssssssss

Her words induced a shiver of delight run down his back. This woman was pure passion, even though she tried hiding that fact from him. Lord Voldemort could see the fire that she tried to hide behind her Occlumency walls, but there was no hiding from him. He could feel her potential, see what could become of her if she was just formed properly. And he was only too willing to form his prize, to shape her into his queen.

"A Blood Quill?" he asked, smiling amusedly. "Well, fortunately, I do have a little collection of old artefacts from various uses. I do love collecting things. Shall we see if we can find one for you, my Dear?"

His prize looked at the woman on the floor. "And Professor Umbridge? Will you have her waiting frozen at the floor?"

Lord Voldemort smiled. "It's your decision, Miss Granger. Remember? You're the one in control. I do have dungeons in the basement of this house if that is what you prefer."

She shook her head. "No, leave her here. In case we find a Blood Quill we won't have to move her back," his prize replied, looking at the plump woman on the floor with a dispassionate expression. "And it's not like she can get away."

"No, there's really no chance of that. Don't worry my dear."

She didn't even send him a dark look over the use of that term of endearment any longer and it pleased him to no end. Bit by bit that little witch got used to his possessiveness, if he was careful not to overdo it.

His collection was stored on the second floor, that was only reachable for those, be directly took with him to see it. It was one of the things he took pride in, that made him truly _happy_. Never before he had taken another person with him so see it, to even touch one of his possessions, but he would make an exception for his queen. It wasn't like he couldn't easily procure another Blood Quill if this one got broken. And now that he thought of it, he'd never seen one of those artefacts in use. He'd always preferred a more direct approach.

"This place is huge," his prize marvelled next to him as soon as they entered the large gallery he had built up here. She was right. The room ever outclassed his audience room in size and was divided into several rows that each held his most cherished possessions. "It looks like something between a museum and an archive." His price proclaimed with wide eyes and an open mouth and he could tell that she was deeply impressed. Good.

"I do have a fondness of collecting old or valuable items," he admitted with a fond smile and led her into the room. He knew exactly that there was a Blood Quill in his possession and where it was, but he decided to use the chance to show his queen some of his wealth.

"What are all those things?" she asked after they had passed the first display cases. Her voice was full of awe and for once she seemed to have forgotten her resentment to be in his presence.

He smiled. "This is a 400-year-old painting of King Arthur's castle. It is said to show the real place, not just some figment of imagination," he explained proudly and pointed to the wall in front of him. His price looked at it with wide eyes.

"It's beautiful," she gasped and he honoured the comment with a pleased little smile.

Lord Voldemort nodded soaking in her praise. Finally, he had found something that could help him to get to her, to maybe even make her admire him. It was a good start. He led her through the room with slow steps, explaining everything she wanted to know. He could feel his girl's thirst for knowledge that was so very much like his own one. She wasn't so different from him in his youth, even if she would never admit that to herself. But he would make her see it. The Blood Quill was just the first step.

ssssssssss

"What now, my Dear?" she heard Voldemort's voice behind her, as soon as they were back to his study. Professor Umbridge was still on the floor and Hermione was sure, that by now her limbs must have turned numb. But somehow she couldn't really feel sorry for her. Much worse would have happened to her former teacher if I hadn't been for her.

"Now we are going to give the Professor a taste of her own medicine," Hermione said coolly. "I imagine you don't want her sitting at your desk, so we'll need to transfigure a chair and a table for her. And then she'll write lines."

Voldemort nodded, his snake-like face showing amusement. He looked at her with glinting eyes, before reaching into his robes and offering Hermione her wand. "Good. Make it happen then. You're in control," he said. She stared at his hand in disbelief.

"I can have my wand back? Seriously?" she asked in disbelief.

He nodded. "I will not raise my wand against this witch. Dolores Umbridge is yours. And now show me your transfiguration skills. We'll need to determine how much work will be needed for you to prepare for your OWLs, after all."

With a smile, Hermione took her wand out of his cold hand. She could feel its welcoming buzz, as soon as the wood touched her fingers. Merlin, it felt good to finally have it back! And she wouldn't allow for it to be taken away from her anytime soon. If she had to behave like a Slytherin for it, so be it. Severus was a Slytherin who had lived with this man as his master for years. She would manage a few more weeks. "This sounds like you're aiming to be my Professor," she said, looking at him with her brow raised in challenge.

Voldemort smirked. "I can teach you magic that surpasses your wildest dreams, Miss Granger," he said, his voice almost seductive. Hermione shivered but willed herself to stay calm.

"Didn't Professor Snape tell you, what an insufferable Know-It-All and overachiever, I can be?" Hermione asked, smiling back sweetly at him.

"He didn't," her keeper admitted, his eyes glinting in amusement. "But I'd rather see for myself."

She shrugged. "But I'm not calling you Professor."

"I don't expect you to and I'm not asking you to call me Lord either," Voldemort replied, his red eyes glinting.

Hermione stared at her with furrowed brows. "Good. What do you want me to call you then?"

"Marvolo, call me Marvolo," he said and if Hermione was foolish enough, she would have seen something like tenderness in his eyes. It didn't matter. Hermione didn't want his affection, she just wanted to get out of here sane and alive.

"Marvolo it is," she replied, forcing herself to smile at him. Then she raised her wand and transfigured two quills from the desk into a chair and a table for Professor Umbridge to sit at. Then she took the Blood Quill from Voldemort and placed it on top of the table, together with a long sheet of parchment. She was just finished, when she saw the man lift the body bind on Professor Umbridge. The woman gasped on the floor, either from relief or anxiety, Hermione didn't know which it was. She took a steadying breath, before she positioned herself in front of the Professor, looking down at her with a serious expression.

"Well Professor," Hermione said motioning to the chair and the desk that she had positioned in front of the desk. "Looks like you're the one in detention today. I believe you know the procedure. You'll be writing lines today."

Professor Umbridge looked up at her with wide eyes, before nodding weakly. "What shall I be writing for you, Miss Granger?" she asked, her voice sounding even higher than usual.

"Blood Quills are not an appropriate punishment," Hermione said smiling sweetly at the woman. At that, she could see something flash in the woman's eyes and Hermione half expected that the woman would try to hex her. But she didn't. Instead, Professor Umbridge looked up at her with small beady eyes.

"How often shall I write that sentence for you?" she asked, before slowly walking to the table and sitting down. Hermione walked behind the desk, a book she had chosen from the shelf in the room in hand and sat down on the opulent chair that was placed behind it. If that action displeased Voldemort, he didn't comment. He just stared at her with a small smile, while his eyes glowed in anticipation. Hermione tried to ignore that look and fixed her eyes on the Professor instead.

"You know what I'm going to say," she told the stout woman, while casually opening the book. "You'll write as long as the message needs to sink in," Hermione replied while looking at the woman with a small smile. She didn't even have to fake it, because somehow punishing that woman for hurting her friends felt just right.

ssssssss

The day had turned out even better than Lord Voldemort had anticipated. When setting up the trap he had hoped to kill some Aurors, maybe even those annoying twins his price seemed to linked herself with. Instead, he came across Dolores Umbridge, a woman whose career he had interestedly followed and secretly considered recruiting for his ranks. But that was before she proved herself this useful in educating his future queen.

Seeing her sitting at his desk pleased him more than he would have imagined. Usually, he was very possessive and protective of his things. Not so with her. Seeing her sitting on his chair touched something in him that satisfied him on a very animalistic level. Would he one day have her on this desk, or on the chair? Probably.

His price lounged on his chair like a queen. She seemed to enjoy the book, a first edition of "Most potent poisons" from 1658. Her eyes were flying over the pages while her nimble fingers caressed the spine of the book. She even started sensually gnawing her lip when she got too absorbed by her reading material and it was secretly driving him mad with want. This girl had no idea what she was doing to him, not like Bella or those other Death Eaters that regularly threw themselves at his feet. No, his lioness did not want him, not right now and not like that, but watching her showed him, that hidden inside this petite woman was passion and sensuality and he wanted it directed at him.

Only occasionally his lioness' attention snapped back to the older witch in front of her to check on the progress of her detention. Was his price enjoying playing Professor? He was definitely enjoying seeing her like that.

"That's enough," her voice said a long while later. He too had sat down a while ago in the back of the room, pretending to read a book while he secretly watched the display in front of him. It was too good to miss and taught him more about his price than she could ever imagine. Looking into Harry Potter's head was one thing, but the boy admired her and saw her almost like a sister. To him there was no dark side to the girl, it wasn't even imaginable. But it was there, Lord Voldemort realized. He'd just have to nourish it.

Dolores Umbridge let the quill sink with a gasp of relief. Then she stared at him with wide, watery eyes. "Does that mean I can go now? Will you obliviate me and send me home then?" she asked, her voice high like a child's one.

He looked at her with an unsettling smile. "I don't think so, woman. I don't think you already learned your lesson, did you?"

Dolores Umbridge looked back at him like a frightened rabbit. He studied her carefully for a moment before his eyes settled on his lioness that was watching them both with an unreadable expression on her face. "What do you think my Dear?"

The girl furrowed her brows. "I don't think she already learned her lesson. Sometimes it takes several detentions for a person to learn, doesn't it Professor?" she asked sweetly, while her eyes showed nothing but hardness.

The plump woman only whimpered in reply. "Well, then I guess we'll find her a nice little cell in the dungeons," Lord Voldemort said offering his hand to his queen. But she looked at him with a smile before shaking her head.

"Not the dungeons," she said and he already started to feel disappointed, before he saw her smile. "I do have a better idea than that."

The Dark Lord looked at her with a questioning expression, but the little minx just smiled, before transfiguring their guest into a toad – a toad with a pink little bow on its head. He had never seen anything more hilarious. He stood there shocked silent for only a moment before he let out a bellow of laughter that was completely genuine. Of course he knew of the woman's unflattering nickname but he had never imagined his little prize actually turning her into a toad - with an appropriate accessory. His little witch was watching him in surprise as he quickly recovered.

"I take it that you approve?" she asked.

His inhuman red eyes fixed her with a look that would have made Bellatrix Lestrange murder her husband for.

"Completely."


	41. Chapter 41

A.N.: Hello again. Here's another chapter for you, my friends. I hope you enjoy. Let me know, if you do. ;-)

Chapter 41: Losing it

Two weeks. For two long weeks, Hermione was gone now and Hogwarts seemed to have gone back to normality. There were only a few people that still regularly seemed to talk about Hermione, or at least think of her. He and Ron were, of course, two of them and there were also Fred and George who even seemed to have bonded themselves to his friend if the rumours were to be believed. Well, it had to be them or at least one of them, as they were the only ones that seemed to have known of Hermione's condition and in return, she had seemed to have known how to contact the twins, even though no one had seen them for weeks after they had so spectacularly disappeared from the castle. Harry could see Fred and George whispering to each other, brooding over some old-looking book and sometimes he heard them say her name, but apart from them and Neville the rest of the students almost seemed to have forgotten her or at least didn't care what happened to her now that she was taken. Sometimes he heard rumours that she would show up in a few weeks like Lavender had done because it was impossible that Hermione Granger was the Open Link. Those idiots! They were making him sick! Now that Harry knew it was her, it was suddenly so obvious. Hermione always cared about others, always did her best to help and if it was just by spending her nights knitting stupid hats for house-elves! It took Harry all his willpower not to snap at those idiots, _not_ to lose his temper, like Snape told him. So far he managed, even though some days he felt like exploding in the middle of the Great Hall. But he had to remain strong, for Hermione, no matter how much he wanted to punch those arseholes into their face or start yelling at them.

"Look, there're the owls," Ron said next to him while savouring his breakfast with unchanged appetite. Harry had never been a picky eater – living with the Dursleys taught you to eat what was available to you – but in the last weeks, he simply didn't have an appetite. One night he had seen a memory of Hermione eating breakfast with Voldemort and as he seemed to be in the man's head he could see him staring at her lips and thinking… unthinkable things… _disgusting_ things about the girl he loved like a sister. Since then Harry didn't really feel like eating much at all. He could imagine that Hermione didn't feel like it either, given the circumstances.

Harry looked up, prepared to catch the newspaper he and Ron received on a daily basis now. As Hermione was no longer there to inform them on the ongoings of the wizarding world and they really needed to keep track of that if they wanted to rescue her one day, Harry had ordered the Daily Prophet himself, even though he would never forgive the newspaper all that shit that was printed about him in the last years.

Today's Prophet was delivered by a pretty barn owl and Harry paid it, before opening the newspaper over his plate. He could feel Ron edge closer but was immediately distracted by the headline on the front page.

**Prominent Ministry Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge Gone Missing, Open Link under Suspicion**

_by Rita Skeeter_

_Yesterday a team of Aurors, led by no other than the former dedicated High Inquisitor of Hogwarts Dolores Umbridge, went on a rescue mission. Two weeks ago Hermione Granger, a fifth-year student of Hogwarts and suspected Open Link disappeared without a trace from the Ministry of Magic (for further information concerning the disappearance of Hermione Granger also read page 3). For two weeks there was no trace of the girl, which led the Ministry to the decision to trace the girl's wand. For days there was no signal and Dolores stated in a report to the Minister (also see page 5) that she feared the worst. Yesterday the tracing of Miss Granger's wand suddenly brought results and Madame Umbridge and a team of four brave Ministry Aurors left to find the girl. But for many hours there was no sign of them. _

_Your gorgeous dedicated intrepid reporter finally located the Auror team 50 miles south of Hogwarts but none of them could even remember being sent to Miss Granger's rescue in the first place. An examination through a skilled healer of St. Mungos's showed traces of strong obliviation spells that lead to even more questions. _

_Has Miss Granger, who is known to be a resourceful student and manipulator of thoughts (a short recap of Miss Granger's manipulations during the Triwizard Tournament with Bulgarian bon bon Viktor Krum and the Chosen One can be found on page 11) decided to throw those Aurors off her track? And who has been helping her? Or has she secretly been influenced by the High Inquisitor during the last school year and now decided to disappear with the former Hogwarts Professor? _

_As my previous articles have stated of her Ms Granger is but a simple girl from Muggle origins. She has been described as bookish but very plain so it was widely accepted as fact that she manipulated the emotions of the youngest professional seeker from Bulgaria while he was in Hogwarts. Having already the attentions of the boy who lived had not been enough for this young girl who had a thing for fame. Could this be but another attempt for the spotlight? Could this plain girl be passing herself off as the Open Link to get the attention she desperately craves? Has our poor undersecretary been done away with in her quest to rescue the girl? How will the ministry react to a high ranking member gone missing on their watch? Who will be next?_

_There is no definite answer to those questions yet, but one thing seems obvious: Miss Granger is probably not the victim she has been idolized as during the last weeks. She might actually be far from being a victim at all._

Harry crumpled the newspaper in his hands, before staring at Ron with wide eyes. "This is ridiculous!" his friend said, but Harry just shook his head in disbelief and anger. How could this woman spout such blatant lies? Wasn't it enough that Hermione was locked up by that creepy perverted bastard? Did her reputation have to be sullied by that scrupulous woman now too?

Harry felt the anger rage inside him as his tenuous hold he had over his emotions snap. Hermione was kidnapped by Voldemort. She wasn't behind anything. He had taken her against her will and doing God knows what to her. Her eyes had haunted him the first few days. Her helplessness as she disappeared would forever be branded in his mind. He saw the whispering spread throughout the hall as some of the more frivolous and callous students begin to believe the lies Skeeter had printed.

_That bitch needed to pay_, he thought before he realized that it wasn't his thought at all. The realization came too late though, as he felt himself hit by a vision like by a bus and was knocked sideways against Ron, as the pictures started flooding his mind.

_He was on his breakfast table, his little lioness sitting directly next to him now. She wore the green dress today, the one he had made for her and that was marking her as his, runes touched the sensitive skin of her belly and thighs. She had brought one of his books to breakfast this morning and she was casually holding it with one hand, as the other one blindly felt on the table for more grapes to eat with those rosy lips and perfect little teeth. Her hand didn't find the grapes though and touched his hand instead. For a moment she didn't react but then she pulled her fingers back, looking at him with her lips caught between her teeth._

_"__I'm sorry," she mumbled, embarrassment colouring her cheeks. "I wasn't paying attention."_

_He didn't mind at all, of course, his reaction only showing him that they got closer and closer every day now. Not much longer now and she was probably sitting on his lap…_

_He grinned. "Don't worry Hermione, I do understand how it feels to be totally enraptured by something."__He said seriously as his eyes bore into her. He could see her eyes widen at the implication._

Harry was snapped back into the Great Hall by somebody shaking him by his shoulders and when he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the floor, Ron bent over him with a worried expression on his face. There was loud murmuring and whispers all around him and he could only imagine, that he had delivered quite a show. _Brilliant_. 

"Merlin Harry," his friend said offering his hand to help him back to his feet. "Are you alright, mate? You look like you've just seen a bunch of Imperi walking into the Great Hall."

Harry shook his head, before pulling himself up. Everyone was staring at him, which meant that he had to be careful with his reaction. "Worse," he whispered, before turning around with wobbly legs. "It's Hermione."

Ron immediately fell into step with him, slowly accompanying him out of the Great Hall, where they wouldn't be overheard. "Hermione?" his friend asked, staring at him with wide, blue eyes. "What is it? Is she hurt?"

Harry shook his head with a sour look on his face. "No," he whispered, missing the eyes of a pale blond wizard that kept following him. "But we have to get her out, the sooner the better."

sssssssss

Hermione felt dirty and tired. Yesterday had been a walk on eggshells for her. Saving those Aurors had been a challenge because she could feel Voldemort trying to manipulate her. Manipulating him in return had cost her every bit of self-discipline she had, but Hermione thought it had been worth it in the end. Was that how Severus lived with the things he had done, how he was still able to look at himself in the mirror? How had he managed to not lose himself in this net of lies and darkness?

She knew she was playing a dangerous game, offering this obsessed maniac her little finger. He wouldn't only take her hand but the whole arm, she guessed, but Hermione also realized that this was probably her only way out. She couldn't rely on Severus coming to her rescue. Hermione needed to help him by providing opportunities and one of them could be taking her OWL-exams at the ministry. Maybe he would somehow hear about it and inform the order? But it wasn't just about being rescued. Hermione couldn't expect digging herself a deeper and deeper hole by offending her keeper and expecting to come out alive and unharmed at the other end. She had seen the upcoming impatience in Voldemort's eyes during the last days. The man had gotten desperate and it would have only been so much longer until he would have snapped and done something to her. That was something she had to avoid if possible.

So she had agreed to call him by his name, his _second_ name. She had studied Lord Voldemort's history of course, especially after Harry had told her of his former identity after their second year. Tom _Marvolo_ Riddle had been a student as they were, even though that was hard for her to believe when she looked at the snake-faces man now. He didn't even look human any longer, which only made this whole situation even more surreal.

But that wasn't all. In a way, she had let him manipulate her if only a little bit. She had tortured a human being, one that wasn't even human any longer but a toad sitting in a carefully transfigured tank now. It wasn't that the woman didn't deserve it, Hermione knew Dolores probably deserved much worse, but that she had secretly enjoyed seeing the woman write _her_ sentence in her own blood over and over again. The sight should have disgusted her, but back then it didn't. It just made her feel like she was doing what nobody had dared to do before: teaching that despicable woman a lesson that was long overdue. But it wasn't her place to do that, right? The woman had been her _Professor_, for Merlin's sake and probably Minister Fudge's right hand, too. What if word of what she had done got out? Would she be punished for it? Could this even get her expelled from Hogwarts? Would she be thrown into Azkaban?

With a moan, Hermione buried her face in her hands. She was only here for two weeks and had gotten herself already knee-deep into trouble and it was only about to become worse.

Breakfast was a silent affair again. She had decided on the plain brown dress again, the one that didn't look like she was attending some sort of outing or made her feel like a mannequin. As a compromise, she had let Hurry do her hair, so that it now fell down her back in soft curls instead of standing up from her head in all angles. The little house-elf was the only thing she would miss about this place, that and the extensive library that held a variety of rare books Hermione could usually only have dreamt about. She had decided to try reading as many of them as she could, well, at least the ones that didn't look like they were oozing with dark magic.

Hermione had even though bringing a book with her at mealtimes, but she wouldn't risk upsetting the man by making him feel even more ignored. They had just found some sort of equilibrium that she could live with and she better didn't risk it for some more reading time. It was probably better gaining some more reading time by starting to spend her days in the library. Voldemort would probably be there most of the time, but considering her new course with him, she couldn't keep avoiding him by locking herself in her room. But if she already had to spend time with the man, she could as well do so at the place, where she was surrounded by her true friends: books. Books had helped her over and over in her life, they would never abandon her and they would find her a way out of this hellhole.

Something, she didn't even know what exactly, snapped her out of his thoughts and she looked at the man sitting at the other end of the table. His eyes had taken on a faraway look, while his mouth was turned to a somewhat cruel smile. Hermione shuddered. What was he doing or thinking about? She stared at him with furrowed brows as he sat at the table unmovingly, his food ignored. The spell lasted only for a few moments though, before Voldemort snapped back to reality and looked at her with a strange mix of anger and glee – two emotions that didn't really fit together in her world.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, her voice unsure.

Immediately his face morphed pack into an almost friendly smile. "Don't worry my Dear. My mind was just somewhere else for a moment."

Hermione nodded plastering an understanding smile on her face. Still, her mind already started analysing what she had just seen. What did he mean with: _His mind was just somewhere else?_ Where? Was that how Harry's visions looked from the other end? Did Voldemort just have some sort of vision? And if so, what has he seen?

ssssssss

Potter still looked shaken, when he stumbled into his office for his next Occlumency lesson in the evening. The boy had really made some progress in the last week, Severus found, which made his little show during breakfast even more annoying. What did the boy think, losing his temper over a stupid newspaper article like that?

"Professor," Potter greeted him with a nod and a gloomy expression on his face.

"Potter," Severus answered calmly stepping aside to invite the boy into his office. Mad-Eye Moody was right behind him, greeting him with a nod and a grunt, before retreating onto the chair that Severus had positioned for him in the back of the room. When the man already ha to play alibi-guard for Potter, than he should at least be given the chance to sit.

"You had a little setback this morning, Mr Potter," Severus said, motioning to the boy to sit down in front of his desk while he positioned himself on his own chair.

The teenager nodded sullenly. "Yeah, I lost control again. I'm sorry Sir," he said, staring at his feet.

Severus looked at him with a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Keeping one's emotions in check is hard work," he said. "Even for the best of us. You saw now what happens as soon as you let go, which might motivate you to try harder in the future," he said pointedly to the idiot in front of him.

"Yes, Sir," Potter answered obediently, which wasn't like him at all. Did the boy slowly start to grow up, or did he see something during that "vision" that left him to shaken to be his annoying self? The Occlumency lesson would show it, he guessed, because if the boy had seen something that shocked him into obedience than Severus would find himself in the boy's thoughts soon enough. He really didn't look forward to what he might find there.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42: The duelling lesson

„_Merlin Hermione, what did you get yourself into?_" Severus thought, resting his forehead in his hand. Potter was long gone from his office, as was Moody, but somehow he couldn't even find the energy to get up from his desk. He had seen it, Potter's vision, and even though Severus has seen much worse in his life, it chilled him to the bone. He could no longer tell if these pictures were true or false because somehow they _felt_ real. Maybe it was due to the fact that the Dark Lord wanted them to be, or the scene Severus had witnessed had truly happened. The fact was, he didn't know and the uncertainty drove him insane.

Was Hermione alright? Was she just pretending? Or was she maybe slowly falling for the Dark Lord's schemes? But that wasn't everything. There was also the question of what really happened to Dolores Umbridge because there was no doubt that she and those Aurors were caught in a trap, that Lord Voldemort layed out for them. Why had those Auror's been sent back though? Why didn't he kill them? And had he killed Umbridge, tortured her? Maybe even in front of Hermione?

The questions kept piling up in his head and each one made him more and more nervous. The bond between him and Hermione had calmed down now so that he was no longer able to feel her or tell how she was. But he wanted to know, he _needed_ to know.

With a heavy sigh, he finally got up from his desk and walked to his private quarters. The cat whose name he still didn't know sat on its new, favourite spot on the sofa, but as soon as Severus sunk into the armchair the cheeky bugger was suddenly in his lap, painfully tormenting his thighs in the hope to be petted. Somehow it always worked for the furball, even though Severus never consciously touched him. But after a while, his hands automatically buried themselves in the thick fur and started stroking. It was like his fingers started to act against his will or something.

"I'm worried about her," he found himself admitting to the cat after a while, that was purring in his lap since Merlin knew how long. Time seemed to flow strangely whenever Hermione's cat was around and sometimes Severus found himself asleep on the sofa or in the armchair without even realizing that the evening was already over. "This monster is obsessed with her. He'll take all of her until nothing of her is left but an empty shell or a dark, twisted version of the girl we have known. I don't know which possibility scares me more."

The animal purred, rubbing its head in his hand, before looking at him with intelligent, understanding eyes. Severus could have sworn it understood each of his words and for the sake of his dignity, he simply pretended it did. Otherwise, it would have meant that he had started talking to himself and Severus never wanted to be one of _those_ guys.

"I don't know how to get her out either. The Dark Lord mostly hides himself away with her in a house, whose location I don't even know. And the one time I had the chance to see her, I wouldn't even have been able to touch her. How am I supposed to help her escape?"

A loud purr was the answer, accompanied by a blink of the cat's yellow eyes. He didn't even know, why he had despised these animals once. Furball here was actually rather easy to handle, as he fed himself and never touched anything in Severus' possession except the armchairs and the sofa. But cleaning those long, orange hairs away only cost him a wave of his wand. He would miss the little fellow when Hermione claimed him back. But for that, he first had to get her back and god help him, he would find a way to do that.

_Just hold out a little longe_r, he whispered into the bond, sending all hope and confidence he could muster. _I'm coming for you, I promise. Just stay strong and withstand his machinations. I know it's hard, but you can do it. I know you can. _

ssssssss

It was the third day of Hermione having involuntarily gained a pet-toad when things started to change. Yesterday had been a strange day. Voldemort was in a strange mood and seemed almost restless, which had him spending less time in the library than Hermione had prepared herself for. She wasn't complaining as it gave her lots of undisturbed reading time which she used to study warding and everything else that could possibly help her escape. Unfortunately, there wasn't much she could do, if the wards were really keyed to Voldemort himself, at least not until she could get a hold on a professional ward breaker or managed to kill the bastard. Unfortunately, both options were almost equally unlikely, which only left one option for her right now. She somehow needed to convince Voldemort to let her take her OWLs at the Ministry and if she was lucky, word of it got out to Severus. It was a shot in the dark, but it was everything she had right now. And so she decided to put all warding-related books aside for now and start revising her schoolwork. It was difficult though, as there were no school books found in the library.

"I saw you've started reading more school-related books now," Voldemort said, staring at her with his red eyes across the breakfast table.

Hermione nodded forcing herself to look at the man. "I still hope to somehow take my exams, or at least try to learn the stuff that I'm currently missing at school. I know, that I'll probably never be able to go back to Hogwarts, but luckily I am pretty skilled in educating myself. It's not like I have much else to do here, anyway."

"Then it's probably a good time to start with our lessons," her keeper answered. "Most of the fifth-year stuff is pretty boring, but you should be able to master most of it in a few days. This is not Hogwarts where you need to share your Professor with hordes of students, after all."

"That's true," Hermione said with a shrug. "We probably won't be able to cover all topics though, at least not the practical parts. I haven't seen a greenhouse and I guess Care of Magical Creatures will also be difficult. But that's alright. I'll read the theory and just hope it will be enough," she said, her lip forming a pout.

The man across from her smiled approvingly. It was the first time Hermione didn't find the sight of it creepy, probably because she had somewhat gotten used to the look of his snake-like features. Maybe it was also because she could feel herself getting more and more excited due to the prospect of continuing her education and – more importantly – taking her exams at the Ministry. She was pretty sure people still tried to rescue her and this offered them the best opportunity to do so. Hermione smiled. The exams were only four weeks away and for the first time in her life, she wished for the time until then to fly by as fast as possible.

ssssssssss

His lioness was a miracle. Her intellect was only paralleled by his own and maybe Dumbledore's, which made him only want her more and more as his queen. She had a hunger for knowledge and a drive to excel at everything which made her prone to his praise. This little useful information was one of the things he had learned from Harry Potter's mind and now he wasn't shy to use it to his advantage. His little witch was also receptive for all insights and knowledge he shared with her. Lord Voldemort secretly enjoyed showing her his brilliance as it made her eyes sparkle with joy. Sometimes he even thought, he could start reading admiration in them, but whenever that happened it was only for a short moment before his girl seemed to realize it and squished the feelings. But those feelings were still there, he _knew_ they were, even though she didn't want to admit them at the moment.

"Today we will work on your duelling skills, Miss Granger," he said while leading her into a room on the first floor he had especially designed and warded for that purpose a day ago.

She looked at him with an eager smile on her lips, while her eyes took in the details of the room. There were five training dummies at the other end, but also various big items, that could be levitated into the middle of the room to be used as cover. In the middle of the room, there was a big, circular duelling platform, whose black stone-floor enchanted with several runes that glowed blue when he activated them. It earned him another stunned look from his prize.

"This place hasn't been here before," she said wide-eyed while shaking her head in confusion. "I've been to all of the rooms and this one definitely wasn't here before. Was it just hidden or…"

"I made it," Lord Voldemort interrupted her with a smug smile. "For you, my Dear. Do you approve? Or is there anything else you wish for?"

He had stunned her into speechlessness, as his lioness just stared at him like had had just grown a second head. Finally, she awkwardly cleared her throat and said: "No…it's…this is perfect. Thank you… Marvolo." Until now she had avoided using his given name, which made this occasion even more special.

He smiled. "I told you I can be a very generous man, Miss Granger. I'll lay the world to your feet, once you're my queen," he promised and for a moment there was a flicker of something behind her eyes, before her face was an expressionless mask.

"What if I don't want to be your queen?" she asked, a weary look in her eyes.

He smiled. "Maybe not right now," he agreed, locking his eyes with her. "You're still young and barely know me. But this will change with time and we have a _lot_ of time. So let's take one step at a time, shall we?"

She nodded, before lowering her gaze and looking at her hands. "Alright, one step at a time then."

"Good," he said with a smile and offered her his hand to help her onto the platform. "Now let's talk about your duelling skills, my little lioness. Are there any other spells you know, that you have not already… shown me?" He stretched the last two words, referring to their little encounter right after he had brought her to the house. The girl never stood a chance against him, of course, but Merlin that hadn't discouraged her from trying to kill him anyway. Not, that he could be killed any longer, what she couldn't have known that.

"No," she said with dark eyes that made him ask himself if she was just trying to occlude her mind. Probably. Through Potter, he knew, that she at least knew the basics of Occlumency. "These were all the spells I know. We weren't really taught much about duelling at Hogwarts."

He smiled knowingly. That wasn't a coincidence, of course. The curse that he had placed over the position of the DADA professor made sure, that there weren't many suitable candidates any longer. Now that he thought of it: didn't Dumbledore hold this position this year? How very … convenient.

"There's no reason to be ashamed of not knowing something," he said, walking to the other end of the platform. "As long as you're willing to learn. Are you willing?"

She nodded. "I am. Not the Unforgivables, though. I'm not using them." His lioness looked at him, with the fire back in her eyes.

He smiled. "You don't have to. There are many other spells one can use during a duel. The Unforgivables are just useful, because they cannot be blocked or shielded against, or so I thought." Lord Voldemort looked at his prize - his miracle - that had done what shouldn't have been possible.

She smiled grimly but didn't say anything in return to that. Instead, she pulled her wand out of her sleeve and straightened her position. "Alright, I'm listening. What other spells could you recommend?" she asked, looking at him with the attentive spark in her eyes. Suddenly all her concentration was fixed on him, and only him, and he _loved_ it. Perhaps he should stretch his teachings for as long as he can. The thought of being her centre of attention was an intoxicating feeling.

"Well, let's start with some offensive spells, shall we? Shielding is good, but usually, it's much more useful to wound or kill the opponent as fast as you can."

His prize stared at him with wide eyes. "Kill? I'm not going to…" she started to protest, but he silenced her with a gesture of his hand.

"It is your decision which spells you're going to use in the end. But you should know all of them in case they are used against you, don't you think?"

The girl nodded, looking at him contemplatively. "Alright. That's a fair point."

He smiled. "Good. Then let's warm up with a friendly little duel and then we're going to hex some of the training dummies," he said, pulling out his own wand. "Try not to exhaust yourself right away. Otherwise, this will feel like a very long lesson for you."

ssssssss

Hermione was exhausted. Two hours of duelling training left her breathless and sweating. She could feel her legs starting to shake below her, but she refused giving up or telling the man, that she wouldn't be able to it. But there was no denying it: Hermione Granger was not born to be a great duellist. The more offensive the spells got, the harder it was for her to learn them. It was like there was some sort of inner resistance in her against seriously harming somebody else and if it was just a stupid training dummy.

"Flipendo maxima," she ground out, pointing her wand at the blasted thing, but instead of flying to the other end of the room, the dummy just gave a quick shake, before remaining in the exact same position it was before. Hermione found herself groaning before she balled her fists in frustration. _Why_ wasn't she able to cast that damned spell?

"I think you need a break," her instructor said after she had obviously stood there a moment too long.

"No, I… it's alright," Hermione hastily answered, resuming her position with a clenched jaw. "I want to try again," she said, unable to hide the frustration in her voice. Was she really that pathetic, that even Voldemort started taking pity on her?

But instead of answering her, the man was suddenly in front of her, fixing her with his red eyes and a smile. "And you will, but not right now. There's no reason for you to over-exhaust yourself. You are in no danger here and therefore in no need to protect yourself."

Hermione had to suppress a snort. That was how _he_ saw her situation, but from her point of view, she didn't feel safe at all. One day he would want her to link herself to him so that he could use her and her magic. What would happen if she refused? She sighed heavily. "Alright, I'll take a break," Hermione agreed, carefully pocketing her wand. She could feel his eyes on her while she did so.

"Good. I'll have the house elves bring some hot chocolate and cake to the dining room. This will help against you exhaustion." With that the man stepped off the platform, slowly sinking to the ground like he was held by some kind of invisible strings. Probably he was just levitating himself. It was an impressive feat of magic, Hermione found and decided that she would ask him how he did that one day, but not as long as she was still frustrated with herself.

"Hot chocolate sounds brilliant," she sighed, climbing down the platform with much less elegance than she would have wished for. She was tired and could feel herself getting cranky.

"Good. Then go and refresh yourself," her host said, leading her outside into the hallway. That was, where they suddenly encountered an unexpected, pale blonde visitor.

"Lucius," Voldemort greeted and Hermione saw the older Malfoy look at her a moment longer than she was comfortable with. She tried to ignore it.

Hermione wasn't aware of the picture she painted in the man's mind. She was flushed, disheveled and slightly panting, her eyes bright from the duel. Overall she looked thoroughly ruffled and had no idea. The Dark Lord would use this image of her to torment the boy further and to fuel his own fantasies. But he would ensure no one else saw her like this if Lucius reaction was anything to go by.

"What a pleasant surprise," the snake-like man said stepping in front of her and next to his guest.

Lucius Malfoy nodded, his eyes finally fixing his master. "My Lord, I found what you had me looking for," he said mysteriously. "It's downstairs in the basement."

Hermione knew that basement was his substitution for _dungeons_. She shuddered, suddenly feeling cold instead of hot. Whom had he been looking for?

"Well done, my faithful servant," Voldemort praised the blonde wizard. "Go to the audience room. There you can tell me how this little mission of yours went."

Malfoy nodded, before turning around and leaving them. That was when her keeper turned around to her again. "Take your time to refresh yourself, my Dear. I'll be with you shortly."

Hermione nodded, before turning into the direction of her room. She couldn't wait to get out of this sweaty dress. It really wasn't meant for duelling.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Pain and comfort

Hermione didn't make it downstairs for the hot chocolate. She had barely closed the door of her room behind her when the first cramps hit her and she clutched her belly in pain. Mortification ran through her as well as irritation. She did not want to go through this as well now. She had too much stressing her out as it was so she didn't need anything else. There was no question what that was, as she had expected her period for some time now, but that didn't make her feel any less uncomfortable about it. At Hogwarts, she would have gone to Madame Pomphrey to ask for some potions to make her feel better, but here… There was no way she was going to ask Voldemort for a pain potion because of _that_.

She made it to the bathroom with slow steps, before sinking to the toilet with a pained moan. First, she'd take care of the bleeding and then she'd crawl into bed right away. At least that was the plan. But no matter how thoroughly she searched the cupboards, she couldn't find the necessary supplies to take care of herself. There was _nothing_ of that sort. _Why?_

But of course, she knew why. Voldemort was a _man_ and he had probably not lived with another woman before, or at least not for a very long time. It was likely that he had forgotten or not thought about those kinds of needs.

She sighed. It couldn't be helped.

"Hurry," she called and it as only a moment before the little house-elf appeared right in front of her in the bathroom.

He looked at her with huge, attentive eyes. "Mistress called Hurry. How can Hurry be of service?"

Hermione looked at him with a relieved smile on her lips. "I need you to get me some things, Hurry. Can you do that for me?"

Hurry nodded with a happy smile. "Hurry is happy to serve."

sssssssss

"Where's your mistress?" Voldemort asked the little elf that was standing in front of him, wringing its little hands. "She was supposed to have hot chocolate with me, but that was almost an hour ago."

The creature nodded. "Mistress is not well, Master," it said, looking at him with wide, frightened eyes. "She has retreated to bed, as she is obviously in pain."

In pain? She seemed alright when he had last seen her. Had she hurt herself during the duelling session? Had he maybe even hurt her and she had not dared telling him? It couldn't be, he had been very careful not to, after all. But it was the only explanation.

He left the house-elf standing in the room and hurried up the stairs and into her room. His lioness really was in bed, he realized after he stepped into her room without bothering to even knock. Her face looked pale and tired when she blinked up at him with pain clouded eyes. What was wrong with her?

"You're in pain," he stated, stepping closer to her bed. "Why didn't you tell me you got hurt during the duel?"

She looked at him with a confused expression on her face. "I'm not hurt," she hissed, before avoiding his gaze.

"Don't lie to me. I can see you're in pain. Let me heal you." It wasn't a question, even though he had phrased it as one. He was about to bend down to her when she pressed herself deeper into her pillow with a mortified look on her face.

"No, there's nothing for you to heal. Just _go_, please!" she said, her voice sounding desperate. Only a moment later she groaned in pain, rolled away from him and coiled up sideways.

"I'm not leaving you like this," he said, staring at her with a dark expression. He heard her groan at his words.

"Merlin, I'm on my _period_. I'm in _pain_ and I really don't want you sitting next to my bed. I'll be better in a few days, I swear," she replied with her back turned towards him. "And now _go_!"

For a moment he stared at her with a blank expression on his face, unsure how to react. Never before anybody had demanded of him to leave and if someone had dared to do so, he'd probably have punished them for the impudence. But this girl wasn't anybody, she would be his queen one day. This was also a situation he had never been in before.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone then. Tell me if there's something you need," he said, retreating backwards from her bed.

She shifted, before looking at him with an almost moody expression. "If you really want to do something, then get me enough pain potions to last me the next few days. The ones we have in Hogwarts usually help enough to not have me miss my lessons."

He nodded with a smile. Pain potions - that was something he could do. He did have his very own potions master after all.

ssssssss

The call came at the middle of the day, right during his afternoon classes. That had never happened before. The Dark Lord usually knew his teaching hours and respected them, which could only mean that something had happened that made him forget or not care about the implications of Severus leaving school in the middle of classes. He cursed internally.

"You'll finish this potion without my assistance," he told his class of fifth-graders without daring to touch his arm. Some of them knew that he was a Death Eater after all and he didn't want to draw their attention to the fact, where to he might be leaving to. "I expect you to leave a phial of your potion on my desk and clean this classroom impeccably after you did that. If there is only one table not cleaned properly, I will know and let you clean it with a toothbrush for detention, did I make myself clear?"

The students stared at him with wide eyes. "Yes, Sir," some of them answered, while others just stared mutely at him. But he didn't have time waiting for all of them to answer, as the burning on his arm continually increased. Someone was desperate for his assistance. He only hoped it wasn't because of Hermione, but he did have a bad feeling in his gut. What else but the Open Link would make the Dark Lord this impatient?

Merlin, he hoped Hermione was alright. But soon he'd know. He just had to send a quick Patronus to the Headmaster to tell him he'd leave the castle, with his class being unsupervised for now. Then he'd port to where ever the Dark Lord was and hopefully learn what this was all about.

He was in the throne room again, the one with the black marble floor. Severus could only assume that this was the place, where his Master also kept Hermione imprisoned, even though his friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, Severus my faithful servant," the Dark Lord greeted him jovially, even though there was a hint of impatience in his voice. But even if it hadn't been there, the level of pain the Dark caused him said something about the urgency his presence was demanded. "I apologize if my call caused you any inconvenience. But I do require your assistance in a very delicate matter."

Severus bowed his head while sinking down to one knee. "I am always zealous to be of assistance to you, my Lord. How can I serve you today?"

The Dark Lord looked at him for a long moment, before the motioned for him to rise to his feet. "I need you to brew some potions for me, same paint potions assisting women with their monthly…pains," the man explained calmly and Severus stared at him with a neutral expression. Merlin, _this_ was why had been called here? - To brew some simple pain potions to assist Hermione with her monthly cycle? He didn't know if he wanted to laugh about the ridiculousness of the situation or because out of relief that his friend wasn't seriously harmed or impregnated.

"Of course, my Lord," he answered without letting his face betray his emotions. "Shall I return to Hogwarts for this task and deliver the potions tomorrow, or is there an equipped lab in this house I could use to make them right away?" he asked, hoping that he would get the chance to stay at the house just that on the off chance he could see her. He wasn't disappointed.

"There's a lab down here that should have anything you need, my friend. I will show it to you." The Dark Lord rose from his throne, looking at him with an inviting smile. Severus looked back at him, before bowing his head.

"I'll start brewing right away then, my Lord. The first potions should be ready in about two hours," he replied and followed the man out of the room. A simple pain potion would in fact not require such an amount of time, but Severus had an idea of how to help his friend, really help her. He could only hope that the Dark Lord would leave him unattended while he was brewing.

ssssssss

Hermione sighed in relief as soon as her warden closed the door to her room behind him. Finally, he was gone. She felt bad enough without him standing next to her bed, staring at her with those red, snake-like eyes and wanting to _heal_ her. That thought alone made her shudder in disgust.

Still, she couldn't ignore that she craved affection right now. She always did during that time of the month. Usually, Crooks was there for her, cuddling with her or lying on her tummy to let his warmth sink into her and help with the cramps. But Crooks was god knows where - probably with Ginny or Harry. Ron never had a soft spot for him and the twins didn't have a good stand with him after Fred had taken him on his first apparation. Her cat could be a bit resentful at times. But god, she missed him, missed holding him in her bed with his body purring against her chest.

"Is there anything Hurry can do for young mistress? Hurry is always happy to serve," the little house-elf's voice suddenly squeaked next to her bed. Hermione blinked her eyes open at him. He looked nervous, staring at her with wide eyes while wringing his hands. She sighed.

"There's not much you can do for me right now," she said, her voice laced with pain. "Apart from giving me a back rub, but I guess that is not what you meant."

"Hurry would be happy to rub mistress' back," the eager servant replied, bouncing up and down on his toes.

She couldn't help but look at him with a small smile. "You would?" she asked in a hopeful voice, causing the elf to no eagerly. "Hurry would be happy to."

Hermione turned onto her belly with a happy sigh, lifting her undershirt enough for Hurry to touch the skin of her back. The house-elf climbed eagerly onto her bed, before he positioned himself next to her and started rubbing her back. His hands were tiny and felt somewhat strange. The skin was rougher than she had expected it to be. But his hands were warm and gentle and Hermione could feel herself relax bit by bit.

"Feels wonderful," she moaned and closed her eyes which caused the house-elf to release a happy squeak. Hermione smiled. She was so thankful for that little faithful servant. He was the only one she trusted in this snake pit.

Hermione felt her body drift more and more into sleep and suddenly her mind was with a pair of redheaded friends that had comforted her through touch only a few weeks ago. Their nightly cuddles after Christmas now felt to her, like they were months away, even though it had been only a couple of weeks. Merlin, she missed them, missed to be held by them. Would they have given her a back-rub if she had asked them to? How would it have been, if she had accepted their request to be their girlfriend? Would they have cuddled on the sofas in the Gryffindor common room? And what else would they have done? Hermione didn't know but suddenly she wished she would have found out. Now she wasn't even sure if she would ever see them again. But even if she did, the situation would be still the same, as it was before. They could only be friends, couldn't they? There would be no cuddling on the sofa or kissing them again…

_What do you want? _

Voldemort's words suddenly echoed in her head, reminding her that she still hadn't found a clear answer to the question. Hermione wanted a lot of things: escaping from this house, a peaceful coexistence of magicals and muggles, finding her parents and… Fred and George Weasley. God help her, she _still_ wanted them. Considering her shitty situation she even wanted them more than ever.

_Who said I can't have them? Just because the concept of the Open Link says I can't? What if anyone hasn't ever tried? _

Hermione blinked into her pillow, her mind suddenly awake again.

_What did Voldemort say? I'm the one making the rules. Maybe I really need to start thinking outside of the box?_

She smiled into her pillow.

_I'll start with admitting that Fred and George are the ones I want then. _

ssssssss

It was more than two hours later that his servant finally informed him, that the potions were ready. Lord Voldemort had waited in his throne room, pacing the room while being deep in thought. The weakened state of his prize was probably a good chance for him to take care of her. Maybe this would help to finally gain her trust. He would start by bringing her those potions, before contacting Lucius. His wife would probably know how he could aid the girl during that monthly time. Sooner or later his lioness would accept his help, because who else but him was there to help her?

"Here're the potions you asked for, my Lord," his Servant said, presenting him with a couple of vials. Six of them had a thick, red potion inside them that strongly reminded of blood. One of them was smaller though, the potion in it colourless, which made it seem like water.

"Thank you Severus," he said, inviting the man to stand up.

"Hogwarts usually only offers the cramp and pain reliever to the students. Therefore the Open Link should be familiar with the use of those red potions. The other one is a potion I don't usually make for the hospital wing. The ingredients are very costly and those dunderheads are usually not worth my time," the potions master said with a sneer in his voice. It was no secret that the man was not very fond of his position at the castle or the students he had to teach. Lord Voldemort would have to reward him, once he had taken over the wizarding world and no longer needed his spy there. "The potion is a much stronger, but non-addictive pain reliever," the man went on looking at him with a serious expression. "Advice the girl only to use it, before she intends to sleep, as it will make her tired but also help her sleep through the night. She should be feeling much better by tomorrow."

Lord Voldemort nodded benevolently. "Thank you, Severus. You may go now."

The man nodded. "As you wish, my Lord. It was a pleasure being at your service." With that, he bowed deeply, before leaving the house without expecting to be praised or rewarded. The man was truly an asset for his Death Eaters. Pity, that he didn't have more useful servants like him.

The girl's room was dark when he entered it a few minutes later. She was still in bed, but she wasn't alone. On the covers was sitting one of the house-elves, _her_ house-elf, rubbing the naked skin of her back while his prize dosed with a content smile on her soft red lips.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked the obtrusive creature with small eyes and instantly the little pest turned around looking at him with wide eyes.

"Mistress asked Hurry to rub her back," it explained wringing its hand with quivering ears. Just when he wanted to punish the elf, he saw his lioness open her eyes, blinking at the two of them in confusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice slurring tiredly, before she turned to her side, covering the naked patch of skin with her blanket.

He forced himself to calm the beast raging in his chest and instead looked at her with a friendly smile. "I had my potions master prepare some potions for you, my dear," he explained, stepping next to her nightstand to position the potions on it. "The clear one is to be used before you plan going to sleep, as it will make you tired as a side effect."

She studied the phials wearily. "Which potions master?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

Lord Voldemort smiled. "My best one, your former Professor Snape. As far as I know, he's also the one brewing the potions for the Hogwarts infirmary."

His lioness wrinkled her nose like she didn't like that bit of information. Her answer confirmed it. "Are you sure he didn't spit into them? He was never very fond of me due to my blood status and the fact that I am obviously an insufferable know-it-all."

He couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry my Dear. Your Professor has always been a faithful servant for me. He wouldn't dare to compromise any of your potions. I have trained my Death Eaters well."

She looked at him with wide eyes, before eying the potions on her nightstand. "Alright, then I will take them then. Thank you for getting me something for the pain."

He nodded and said: "Anything for my lioness. I'll leave you to yourself now. If you need anything, don't hesitate to send the elf to get me."

He waited for her nodding her confirmation, before turning around and leaving the room. As soon as he was back downstairs he'd call that damned house-elf. There would be no more back-rubs from him or any of the other elves. He was ruthlessly crushing the thoughts of being jealous of a house elf. He wouldn't acknowledge those thoughts under threat of death.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Give me hope

Hermione stared at the potions on her nightstand for a long while. Severus had made them for her. Even though Voldemort had ordered him to brew them, he had still taken his time and skill to make her feel better.

With a sigh, she pulled herself out of bed. By now it was almost time to go to sleep anyway. She would go to the bathroom and take a warm bath, to help take care of those cramps. Afterwards, she'd ask Hurry for a small dinner, before allowing herself to take that special potion, Severus had made for her after all.

sssssssss

_"__Hermione," a voice called her name pulling her back into awareness. Where was she? This wasn't Voldemort's house. In fact, this place almost looked like she was back at Hogwarts, in Severus' private quarters nonetheless. She looked around with wide eyes and really, there was her friend, sitting on his sofa looking at her with unreadable, black eyes. "I see you've taken the potion. Good. I wasn't sure if he'd give it to you."_

_She blinked at her friend in confusion. "Where am I? What have you done?" she asked, unable to hide the panic in her voice. "Merlin, this is some sort of trick, isn't it? He's using Occlumency or something to test me…" _

_Hermione looked around in panic, before trying to concentrate on her Occlumency shields. But it was like they had simply disappeared, leaving her exposed to whatever this… thing in front of her had planned. She backed away from him with her heart beating heavily in her chest. What kind of cruel joke was this?_

_"Hermione," the duplicate of Severus Snape called her again, while getting up from his spot on the sofa. She saw him slowly walking towards her, his hands lifted in a gesture of not being a threat to her. Hermione didn't believe it for a second and instead turned around, in the hope to reach the door in time. She did, only to find it closed for her. She whimpered._

_How had Voldemort discovered her friendship with Severus? She hadn't told anyone about it._

_"__You can stop right there," she said staring at the copy with fire in her eyes. "How did you even think coming as Professor Snape would be a good idea? I hate that man and I _told you_ he hates me too."_

_Hermione saw something flicker in the man's eyes before they were again the black orbs, she had gotten used to seeing on her friend. "This is no trick, he said. You're in my mind, Hermione. By taking the potion I brewed for you, I lowered your Occlumency shields and created a temporary link to my mind. It will only last a few hours, don't worry. It will not leave you exposed to his mental attacks, I promise." He looked at her calmly, obviously waiting for her reaction. She stared at him with small, distrustful eyes. Finally, she made a decision and said: "If you're really him, then you won't have problems answering this question for me: How did Severus Snape find out I went to the Ministry of Magic? Who told him?" _

_The black-haired man smiled at her. "No one. I received a written message through a house-elf called Dobby. He's a very stubborn little fellow, by the way, wouldn't leave until I had read that damned note." He snorted and for a moment Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. It was impossible that Voldemort had this bit information, right? Which meant that this man in front of her was…_

_"__Severus," she whispered staring at him with wide eyes. _

_Her friend nodded, before slowly taking another step into her direction. "Hello," he said, a shy smile breaking out on his face. "Sorry for blindsiding you with that potion like this. It was my only way of contacting you right now."_

_She nodded understandingly, finally allowing herself a hesitant smile into his direction. "Hello," she whispered soaking the sight of him in with her eyes. "I can't believe you're here, talking to me."_

_Severus looked at her with a sad smile. "I should have talked to you weeks ago. Can you forgive me for being a stubborn idiot?"_

_Hermione couldn't hold her feelings in any longer. She threw herself in his arms with a sob and a laugh. "Only if you can forgive me for being an idiot, too. I should have listened to you. You were right. I was selfish and…"_

_He silenced her with a shake of __his head but held her tightly to him. He had missed her so much, this was more than he had hoped for__. "Hush. What's done is done. We've both been idiots. Let's just agree to do better from now on."_

_Hermione nodded against his shoulder and a moment later she felt his arms tighten around her. She relaxed against him with a sigh. "Absolutely. No more being idiots. I've learned my lesson the hard way. God, I miss you."_

_He nodded against her hair. "I'll get you out, I promise. Just hold on a little longer. Is there anything you could tell me that could help to get you out? Right now I don't even know where you are."_

_For a moment Hermione simply enjoyed her friends embrace, but then she reluctantly let go of him. She looked at him with a tired expression in her eyes. "I don't know where exactly I am either. There is a huge forest around the house and Voldemort told me, that it is full of werewolves that are guarding the house. I don't know if that's true though."_

_Severus nodded with a serious expression. "Alright. What else?"_

_"__The wards will be a problem. He told me, that he's the only one able to get me through, as I don't have the Dark Mark. I don't think you'll be able to get me directly from the house," Hermione answered with a tired expression. _

_Her friend cursed. "Leave it to the Dark Lord to make things difficult," he said while starting to pace the floor in front of her. _

_She nodded. "There's something else. I… might have convinced him to let me take my exams at the ministry. I don't know where or when exactly, but maybe you could find out…"_

_Severus stared at her in disbelief. "You're preparing for your OWLs," he said tonelessly before starting to chuckle. "Of course you are. I don't even want to know how you convinced him to agree to that."_

_Hermione stared at the floor in shame. "You really don't. I… you were right. He is a manipulative bastard."_

_She had barely finished, as she felt his hand gently raise her chin, which forced her to look at him. For a moment she resisted meeting his eyes, before she gave in. His eyes were full of understanding. "Whatever it is Hermione, you know I won't judge you. I've done much worse, as you very well know."_

_She stared at him in silence, searching his eyes for confirmation of his words. Even though his pupils were huge, making his eyes seem almost totally black, they were not empty. Instead, they glowed with warmth and affection for her._

_"__You never held those things against me, Hermione," her friend continued. "Even though you would have had every right to be disgusted by me. You never were, you accepted who I am and what I have done. But this kind of trust goes in both directions, Hermione. Believe me, I know how it is to be stuck between a rock and a hard place." _

_Hermione smiled sadly. "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."_

_He nodded, before pulling her close again. "Believe me, I do."_

_This time their embrace lasted much longer than the first one. They simply stood there in silence, no more words needed between the two of them. Even though they hadn't been friends for that long, there was a deep understanding between them, that couldn't only be based on the link that still connected them, against all odds. They were like-minded souls thrown together by what only could be fate and Hermione was sure she'd forever be thankful to have met Severus and gained him as a friend. _

_"__Alright, the Ministry then," he said, letting go of her a long while later. "I'll find a way to get you out of there. Don't worry if you don't hear from me again until then. Contacting you once more would be too risky."_

_Hermione nodded with a sad smile. "I know. Don't worry, I'll be fine. He's treating me well, for all that it's worth. And I even got my wand back, now."_

_"__Good," he said looking at her with a serious expression now. "See that it stays that way. I know it's hard for you Gryffindors to reign your temper in, but you need to try. You don't need to pretend to agree with his ideas, you're not a Slytherin after all, but openly affronting him was a horrible idea."_

_Hermione nodded embarrassedly. "I know. I'm sorry. I do have a temper sometimes."_

_Severus snorted. "That happens to the best of us." With that he walked back to the sofa, sitting down on it with a sigh. Hermione followed him and sat down right at his side. "Alright, we should have a while longer, before the potion loses its effect. Is there anything else you want to tell me or want to know?"_

_She thought for a moment. "There is, indeed. Do you know who else is with me at the house? There's another man here, pale blond hair, grey eyes. I've only seen him twice, as he seems to avoid me or something. Is he a Death Eater?"_

_Her former potions professor looked at her with furrowed brows. "No. Only the Malfoys fit that description and you do know Lucius Malfoy. If it's not him, then it's probably not a Death Eater. I don't know much about the prisoners kept by the Dark Lord though. Usually, he doesn't have them for very long…"_

_Hermione sighed, as she understood what Severus implied. "Alright. Then maybe it's not someone important if you don't know anything about him. I'll just be careful then." _

_Severus nodded. "Yeah. Anything else you want to ask?"_

_She nodded. "What about my stuff? Is it still at my dorm? I'd hate when anybody went through it. My dorm mates can be quite nosy."_

_"__Miss Brown and Miss Patil? Nosy? Wouldn't have guessed that," he said his eyes almost twinkling. "Don't worry. Everything was packed up right after your disappearance. Professor McGonagall saw to that. It there anything in particular you want me to get from it?"_

_She shook her head. "No, nothing. Thanks for offering. Is there anything you want to ask me?"_

_He looked at her with a smile. "There's indeed something. What's the name of your cat?"_

_"__My cat?" Hermione asked her friend with confusion. "His name is Crookshanks. Why are you asking?"_

_The potions professor snorted. "The cheeky bugger moved in with me the night you disappeared but I wasn't sure what to call him. It wasn't like I could simply ask somebody after his name, without making myself suspicious."_

_Before Hermione knew it, she initiated the third hug of the evening by simply throwing herself at the poor man. "Thank you for taking him in. I know you don't like cats but I'm so relieved he's with you. Is he giving you much trouble?"_

_Severus chuckled. "Apart from covering me and my sofa in red hair, there's nothing I can complain about. I might change my opinion on those furry little fellows, eventually."_

_Hermione squeezed her friend even tighter, but suddenly he felt no longer solid in her arms. When she opened her eyes in confusion she saw, that the picture of him and his room started to fade more and more. He seemed to recognize it too, as he looked at her with a sad smile. _

_"__The potion, it's losing effect," he explained._

_"__I don't want __you __to go," Hermione pleaded, but she knew that there was nothing he could do. He had already taken a big risk giving her that potion once. "Will I even remember that conversation? Or will it fade like a dream."_

_At that, he smiled. "Don't worry. It will still be there when you wake up in the morning. But don't forget hiding it behind your Occlumency shields. The Dark Lord must never know of our connection."_

_Hermione nodded towards him, even though he was barely even there any longer. "I promise," she said, trying to remember the look of her friend as well as she could. It would be everything that remained of him for her in the next weeks. "No more being idiots, remember?"_

_But he was gone. And so was she. _

ssssssss

When Severus snapped back into reality, he found himself sitting on the sofa, in the meditative posture he had resumed a few hours ago, with a content smile on his face. Hermione was alright, she had even forgiven him and he had finally been able to tell her, that he had forgiven her too. It would have been perfect if his friend hadn't still been in the clutches of this maniac. But even for that, there was hope. Hermione would take her OWL-exams at the ministry. It was the best chance so far for getting her out. Unfortunately, the Dark Lord was no idiot, which meant that he must know that, too. Would he maybe even use the occasion to set a trap for the Order or the ministry itself? It was possible, which meant he had to be careful.

He sighed. No matter how little he liked the idea, he would have to talk to the Headmaster about it. Because when he wanted to get Hermione out, he needed some allies. And Dumbledore wasn't only a powerful and resourceful wizard. He was probably also as desperate to get Hermione out, as Severus himself.

ssssssss

When Hermione woke up in the morning, she felt as rested and the pain that had plagued her the last day was barely any longer to feel. Severus had been right. The memory of their conversation was still fresh in her mind. It felt like she had left his chambers just a minute ago, but of course, she had never really been there. Still, she was sure that it hadn't just been a dream. Severus had really spoken to her and most importantly _forgiven_ her. Hermione felt like crying from relief and happiness.

Alright, she had to stay strong as long as it took him to get her out. But more importantly, she had to hide this memory deep down, where no one but her would be able to ever find it.


	45. Chapter 45

A.N.: Hello guys. I hope you are all doing well in these crazy times. Work is giving me hell atm, which is why my writing has slowed down, recently. I'll still be able to do at least one chapter per week, but I don't know how much more. Thank you for all your comments and love you are sending to me. They are what's keeping me upright. Be well and have fun with this chapter.

Chapter 45: Calculated risks

Hermione decided to get out of bed and into the dining room for breakfast. The potions Severus had made for her were brilliant, much better than the ones they offered at Hogwarts, even though they did look the same. One day she'd have to ask him about that and the recipe to make them.

Voldemort looked pleased when he saw her walking into the dining room. He was already seated on his chair, reading the newspaper. It was such a strange sight, that Hermione had to pause in the doorway for a second. Her jailer saw her doing it, of course, and he looked at her with a knowing glint in his eyes.

"Miss Granger. I am glad you are feeling better. I assume my Potions Master didn't spit into your potions then?" He said with an amused tone.

Hermione smiled slightly while hiding the shiver at his uncharacteristic attitude. "No, the potions are perfect. I'm feeling much better today. Thank you for having Professor Snape brew them for me. It seems he's a more efficient brewer when providing potions for you rather than the students."

He only answered by nodding towards her with a pleased smile on his lips.

Hermione sat down at the table a moment later. There was a whole variety of new food in front of her today and even though she usually went for a lighter breakfast, she loved having egg and bacon at _those_ days. And so she started savouring the greasy food with appetite.

Voldemort watched her doing so with a pleased smile for a moment before he opened his newspaper again. It was the first time he did so during their meals together. For several minutes they ate in silence before her keeper finally lowered the Prophet and stared at her with an unreadable expression.

"Seems like our little trap for Madame Umbridge and her and of Aurors caused some uproar in the wizarding world," he commented neutrally, before levitating the newspaper towards her. It was the edition from the day before, Hermione realized, and just by opening the front page and reading the headline she understood what he meant. Rita Skeeter had outdone herself again by taking all facts available to her and spinning the most lurid and outrageous story she could think of. But the worst of it: she could already see people believing this shit.

Hermione put the newspaper aside with an annoyed grunt, before pushing her half-full plate aside. Somehow she had suddenly lost her appetite.

"I take it you disapprove of the article?" Voldemort said, looking at her with an unreadable smile on his lips.

Hermione snorted. "It's a whole lot of Gryffin dung, as you might know. I can't believe people are believing this, but unfortunately, they do. When you read the other pages you'll realize that Rita and I do have some history together. She's written about me in the past and there rarely was a grain of truth to her words."

"I imagine there was not…" he said, sipping at his cup of tea with an almost amused smile. "Fortunately for Rita Skeeter I was never in the focus of one of her _articles_. Otherwise, I'd probably have killed her a while ago."

Hermione shuddered at the casual use of the word kill. Merlin, that man had really lost all humanity, hadn't he? "Rita Skeeter is a menace," she said carefully. "I agree that she should be taught a lesson one day. But I don't think she deserves to die…" a quick decision made she proceeded "that would be merciful to that wretch. I rather watch her suffer and live a long time while she watches me get everything I want in life while she has nothing." She said with a smirk, hoping that Voldemort would believe her words.

"What does she deserve then?" he asked back with glittering eyes.

She looked at him with a serious expression. "Well, I guess someone would have to teach her a lesson. But in my experience, that woman is unfortunately pretty incorrigible."

The look he gave her at that, made the skin of her neck prickle. "Well, my Dear. That remains to be seen."

Reading that newspaper article had left Hermione in a grumpy mood. Even though Hermione wouldn't really have to suffer the reaction of the other Hogwarts students and owls carrying hate-mail would not be able to reach her here, she could still imagine only too well, how everyone was now talking about her – and not in a good way. Right now it didn't matter, but what about the time after she finally escaped that hell-hole?

Hermione sighed. It couldn't be helped now. Still, she regretted letting Rita Skeeter go without making sure that that insufferable woman learned her lesson. How many people had to suffer because that woman made money by writing lies and destroying reputations? How many lives, friendships or marriages had that woman crushed by now?

"Are you feeling well enough for another duelling lesson today, Miss Granger?" Voldemort's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She had been staring at the closed newspaper for a while now, even though she had put it aside.

"I don't know," she admitted while unconsciously pulling a face. "The potions Professor Snape made for me seem to be working quite well, so I should probably give it a try. Merlin knows I need the training."

The man looked at her with a neutral expression. "There's no reason to stress yourself about your magical abilities, they are remarkable. There's nothing for you to worry about right now. I am merely offering a way to distract yourself, as learning usually does seem to make you feel better."

Hermione stared at the man in surprise. That was actually quite thoughtful of him. And no matter how little she liked him, he was actually a very good teacher and without a doubt a very skilled wizard. During the summer holidays, she would have given her favourite book if she had found somebody willing to teach her duelling. Now she had somebody that could teach her, really teach her as he probably knew every duelling that was there. She just needed to give in and let him do it. "It does," she finally admitted with a little smile. "I've always loved learning, even as a little girl." She sighed, suddenly caught by nostalgia when remembering her childhood. It had been such a wonderful time and Hermione would probably never forget the day when Professor McGonagall visited her and her parents to tell them that Hermione was a witch. It was like one of her dreams had come true. Now everything was different. Magic was no longer only _magical _to her, Hermione now also knew that it was dangerous and could be used to hurt or even _kill_ people.

"I also enjoyed learning since my early childhood," Voldemort explained, looking at her with an almost fond expression. "I grew up in an orphanage, did you know?"

She blinked at him in faked surprise. "I didn't," she replied, hoping to get him talking about his past. Maybe she could learn something useful.

He smiled. "I still enjoy learning, even though it is harder and harder to find things that keep my interest long enough. But if I do…" he looked at her suggestively "I can be quite determined."

Hermione swallowed heavily before she found herself nervously biting her lip. What was she supposed to say to that? She definitely didn't want to encourage that man any further. Before she could find an adequate reply, Voldemort continued: "How about we go upstairs and start with a friendly duel. If you're still feeling well enough after that, we can continue with you practising some new spells. Does this sound appealing to you?"

She nodded. "It does. I'll just go upstairs, take another one of those potions and change into something more comfortable. Those dresses aren't really made for duelling."

Twenty minutes later Hermione stepped into the duelling room. She was clad in a comfortable shirt and sweatpants now that she had to transfigure for herself, as nothing suitable could be found in her room. Voldemort had only provided her with wizarding attire and for a moment she asked herself if he would be offended by her sudden muggle-appearance. But a moment later she found, that she did not care. When she wanted to indulge in a proper duel, she needed to be able to _move_.

Voldemort was already in the room, patiently waiting for her on the duelling platform. For a moment she found his eyes roaming over her body, but if he was displeased by her appearance, he did not comment.

"Well then, Miss Granger. Shall we begin?" he asked, his eyes glittering. Hermione nodded and promised herself to give her best. She was Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age and she surely wouldn't be intimidated by a few complicated duelling spells.

"Well, you're definitely making progress," the man praised her after they had finished their duel. Hermione found a satisfied smile grace her lips. She had tried some of the new spells he had taught her, the more subtle ones, and even though she had not been able to land a hit, he had not either. "Now let's go and practise some of the more difficult spells," he said motioning towards the training dummies.

Hermione looked at them with a sigh, before climbing down the platform. "I'll try my best," she promised, straightening her posture.

At that, the Dark Lord simply smiled. "I think it's time to try a different approach," he said, before a moment later his wand transfigured one of the dummies into an exact replica of Rita Skeeter. Hermione looked at it with wide eyes. That really was an extraordinary bit of transfiguration work. The dummy even moved, as Hermione saw it taking out a self-writing quill and parchment before tit started reciting the recent article from the Daily Prophet. Hermione felt her hackles rise and pointed her wand at the annoying reporter before she had even finished reciting the first sentence.

"Flipendo maxima," she shouted and the spell that left her wand made the annoying dummy fly backwards for several metres. At that, a pleased smile appeared on her lips. How many spells would she need to blast that damned thing into pieces or at least make it _shut up_? Hermione smiled. She guessed it was time to find out.

ssssssssss

Even though Severus had gone to bed rather late, he felt well-rested the next morning. His heart felt much lighter today which had him in an untypical good mood, which he tried not to let show too much. Still, he took fewer points than usual and even refrained from assigning homework to his classes. After all, he had to correct every inch of essay he assigned later on and at the moment he did have other priorities.

Severus was barely back to his room after classes finished for the day when there was a knock on his office door. He didn't expect anyone, which could only mean, that there had been trouble somewhere or somebody needed his help. Merlin. Couldn't those dunderheads make it for a day without needing him for something?

He got up with a sigh and opened the door and for a moment the boy in front of it made him pause. Draco Malfoy had regularly visited him in the past – being his godson he had every right to – but this term he had barely seen him. Severus remembered that he had wondered about that fact weeks ago, but somehow the last week's events had made him forget to get to the bottom of that irregular behaviour.

"Draco, what a pleasant surprise," he said amicably, motioning for the boy to step in. For a moment his godson studied him, but finally, he followed his invitation with a neutral expression on his face. It was pretty unusual for the boy, as he had never held back with his feelings with him before.

Draco sat down on the chair in front of his desk, casually crossing his ankles on the floor, while his eyes seemed to take in his surroundings attentively. The boy was intelligent, that much was sure. Unfortunately, he was also a spoilt little brat.

"What can I do for you?" Severus asked, as soon as he had taken a seat himself.

For a moment his godson just stared at him, but finally, he said. "Ward the door, uncle Sev. I don't fancy us being overheard."

The potions master looked at him with a raised eyebrow but did as the boy asked without questioning him. He was a paranoid bastard himself and he surely wouldn't fault Draco for finally being more cautious.

Severus felt, that the boy watched him carefully and saw him nod in satisfaction after he had put the last ward in place. Whatever the boy wanted from him, didn't seem to be trivial.

"Alright," Draco finally said and even though he tried to hide it, Severus could feel his nervousness. "I've always looked up to you, uncle, which is the reason why I decided to talk to you about this."

Severus nodded, looking at the boy with a neutral expression and waiting for him to continue. Draco did so, after taking a deep breath.

"I've watched you for a while now and I've come to the conclusion, that you are no longer loyal to the Dark Lord. I don't know when exactly it happened, but right now that's also not important. You're no longer serving him while pretending to do so. Am I right?"

Severus stared at the boy with a blank expression on his face, while his mind started analysing the situation. How had the boy come to that conclusion? What had given him away? "You know that this is a pretty serious accusation, Draco. How, pray tell, did you come to that conclusion?"

The boy's mouth twitched. "As I said, I started watching people. I've seen Granger coming to your office, for detention. But I also saw her looking at you more often than usual, but even though you have given her about three weeks of detention, she didn't seem to resent you for it - quite the contrary, actually. I saw her distance herself from her friends and even from those infamous twins, but still, she never seemed lonely or desperate. Isn't that strange, considering, that she is the Open Link and her emotions should have been all over the place? They weren't though."

Severus nodded, keeping his expression as neutral as possible. He didn't interrupt his godson though, as he didn't seem finished with his reasoning.

"It's obvious that she linked herself to somebody, otherwise her magical core would have bled out long ago. Interestingly I don't think she linked herself to one of the Weasleys, even though that seems the obvious choice for her. I think she linked herself to you, Uncle Sev, which led to you secretly supporting her."

"That's an interesting theory," Severus said, staring at his godson with an unreadable expression. "Do you have any proof for it?"

The boys mouth twitched. "No proof, just some observations. The day after she disappeared you were weak, you didn't use magic as frequently as you usually do. The Weasley twins were fine though. They seemed depressed, yes, but on the other hand, also bursting with energy. And then there's the fact that Granger's cat seems to have moved to your quarters. The little pest has usually been found roaming the Gryffindor tower, but now it is mostly found outside or in the dungeons. True, I haven't directly seen it enter your quarters, but I've regularly seen it roaming the area."

Severus cursed inwardly. Who else had noticed that little detail? Who else would he need to obliviate? But he could dwell on that fact later, when he solved the problem sitting in front of him.

"Assuming your observations and the conclusions you drew from them are true. What do you intend doing with them, Draco? Why have you decided to share those thoughts with me, instead of for example telling your parents? You've barely written them, have you?"

The boy sighed, tiredly. "My parents, well especially my father, have designed a certain path for me, a path I am no longer willing to take. I was raised with certain ideals and for a long while, I didn't question them. But for the first four years of my Hogwarts career, there also seemed no need to. But then he returned, he lived in or home and…" Draco stared at him with wide eyes. "I suddenly wasn't sure any longer if that was, what I really wanted."

Severus stared at the boy with unblinking eyes. He couldn't allow himself to make a mistake now. "And now you are sure? Since when?"

The boy smiled. "In fact, you have helped me to come to that conclusion. At the beginning of the school year, you had us brew the Draught of Insight. I knew I wasn't the Open Link, so that wasn't the prominent question on my mind when I took it. Instead, I wanted to know what to do, with my future. Whom to be loyal to…"

"And who is that, Draco?" he found himself asking, while his head started connecting the dots.

"The potion didn't say. It only said whom _not _to be loyal to, which is why I came to you today. Hoping that you're not just going to obliviate me in a few minutes because I was wrong with my conclusions about you, I have come to ask for your help or at least some advice."

Severus stared at the boys, before rubbing the bridge of his nose to relieve some tension.

"This is a very difficult position you're putting me in, Draco. Let's assume your observations and conclusions are right. Admitting that towards you would put me into great danger, as that piece of information could be robbed from your mind almost anytime. Therefore I might not have much choice but obliviating you regardless of the question, whether I really find myself trusting you."

The boy stared at him for a long moment, his eyes letting on about the inner fight he was probably fighting. Finally, he said: "You can look into my mind to make sure I'm telling the truth," he suggested, suddenly sounding a little desperate. Severus couldn't fault him. He would have felt the same in Draco's place.

"And then what?" the Potions Master said, staring at his godson with a raised brow.

The blonde boy smiled. "Then you're going to teach me Occlumency."

ssssssss


	46. Chapter 46

A.N.: Phew, the weekend gave me enough time to finish another chapter for you. Thank you for all your encouraging comments. They always cheer me up and motivate me to write, at least a bit very day.

Chapter 46: Pent up frustration

When Hermione finally made it back to her room, she was tired to the bone. The duelling lesson had gone so much better than the one yesterday, but it was still one of those days. She was sweaty and achy all over and couldn't wait to sink into the warm bath tube, before letting Hurry rub her back. Unfortunately, the latter wasn't to be.

"Hurry," Hermione called the little elf while fastening a white fluffy dressing gown around her waist.

"Hurry is happy to serve," he chirped eagerly, after appearing next to her a moment later.

She smiled fondly at the enthusiastic servant. "I know. Could you maybe rub my back again? I'm all achy again and…" but she didn't continue, as she saw the unhappy expression on the little guy's face. "What's wrong?"

The little elf shuffled his feet with hanging ears. "The master has forbidden Hurry to touch mistress in that way again. Master says it is not appropriate for a house-elf to enjoy such liberties."

Hermione stared at the elf in disbelief for a moment, before her temper began to rise. "Liberties? _Liberties_?" she asked, her voice more and more transforming into a shriek. "This is not a liberty, you've been _helping_ me."

The little servant nodded with a sad expression on his face. "Master says, that he will gladly take care of your needs, should you find yourself in need of another backrub," Hurry continued, staring at her with huge green eyes and Hermione didn't know whether to laugh because of the ridiculousness of that offer or to cry because of the unfairness of it all. She'd never let that _thing_ touch her bare back, rather she would lie in her bed moaning with pain all night.

She sighed. "I will not ask him to rub my back or any other part of me, _not ever_," she bit out, before taking another pain potion from her nightstand. After that one there would only be two left for her, but she'd have to get through the night somehow. Thanks to Severus she at least would not be in pain, which meant that she would only have to deal with the loneliness. But maybe thinking about the twins would help. It was at least worth a try.

"Alright Hurry, you can go then," she said with a sigh, stepping out of her dressing gown, before changing into another male nightshirt. But this time she transfigured it into a comfortable pair of pyjamas beforehand. If that man was only providing her with unsuitable clothing, then she'd have to take things into her own hands. Finally, she stepped to the bed, fishing the shrunken Prophet out of the dress she had worn for breakfast.

"Alright Professor," she said, stepping next to the big tank she had prepared for Professor Umbridge. "I've brought you some reading material. I'm not a fan of the Prophet, but maybe you can appreciate Rita Skeeter's articles." With that, she carefully placed the little newspaper on one of the stones, next to the artificial mini-pond she had transfigured for the toad. She felt a twitch of shame for keeping the poor woman locked in this thing, but it was this or the dungeons. And here Hermione could at least have an eye on her.

With a sigh, Hermione crawled into her bed, closed the curtains and cast a silencing charm. Having the toady woman staying in her room was creepy enough. Hermione didn't need her watching or listening to her sleep as well.

ssssssss

"What did she say?" Voldemort asked, as soon as the elf appeared in front of him in the throne room. He had instructed the annoying creature to only show itself, when his lioness had asked for its particular services again, only to find out, that she would be disappointed in that regard.

Wringing its little hands the ugly thing squeaked: "Mistress said, she will never ask Master to rub her back or any other parts of her, not ever."

For a moment he just stared at the little menace in disbelieve. But house-elves did not lie to their masters, they were physically incapable of doing so. He felt his anger rise, but he tried to contain it by balling his hands to fists. The girl let those low creatures touch her, but not _him_?

He must not hurt the elves, he told himself, his prize was unfortunately very protective of them, but Merlin he wanted to. Maybe another Death Eater meeting was in Order. There he surely would find the chance to punish _someone_. He'd just have to make sure, that the throne room was properly warded and muted.

ssssssss

"I do have a surprise for you," Voldemort told her, as she had nearly finished her breakfast. Hermione had been in a grumpy mood all morning, savouring her bacon and eggs without saying a word or even looking up at the man that robbed her the comfort of a good back rub. But now she looked up at him with a cold expression on her face.

"If it isn't pain potions or a hot water bottle I don't think I'm interested," she told him matter-of-factly before continuing to eat. He didn't answer right away, but Hermione could still feel his eyes resting on her.

"You're upset," he stated calmly. "Why?"

Hermione stared at the man in disbelief. "You've robbed me the one way I discovered to find a bit of comfort," she explained with small narrowed eyes, but the man didn't seem too intimidated by it. Instead, he looked at her with an understanding smile. Which only seemed to feed her ire.

"There are other ways, my Dear, you just need to let me take care of you," he said with a small smile that she didn't find comforting at all.

"No." Hermione didn't have to think long. The thought alone that those spidery, cold fingers touched her, made her skin crawl. There was no way in hell she'd ever allow that.

For a moment she was almost sure the man would snap, as the vein on his temple suddenly started to pulse. But no such thing happened. Instead, he just looked at her with a slightly disappointed smile. "Well, that's a pity then. But maybe I can find another way to cheer you up. Come with me, then I'll show you the little surprise I prepared for you."

Hermione looked at him with a contemplative gaze. It probably wasn't a good idea to anger that man further. He was a crazy megalomaniac, after all. "Alright, show me your little surprise then," she said getting up from her seat with a sigh. He, too, got up from his seat motioning for her to follow him outside of the room. Where were they going anyway? Well, she guessed she'd find out.

He brought her into his study. Hermione hadn't been to the room since she had given Professor Umbridge her detention, which made her question why he had brought here again. The answer was found on the table. There was a bid jar with a little bug in it that Hermione remembered very well. She had kept it in an unbreakable jar for weeks, after all.

"That's Rita Skeeter," she said carefully, as she stepped next to the desk, to watch the angry insect look for a way out of the container.

"Indeed. How do you know she's an Animagus?" Voldemort asked her with a curious expression on his face.

Hermione smiled. "I deduced it last year. As I said, Miss Skeeter and I do have a history together. She wrote about me last year – extensively – and sometimes even about things she could not have known." _Like kissing Victor_, Hermione added in her head. "At the end of the year, I finally caught Miss Beetle here. I kept her in an unbreakable jar for some time, in the hope that it would teach her a lesson. Didn't do much good though…"

The man looked at her with glowing eyes. "Well, Miss Granger. This could be your second chance teaching that woman a lesson. Would you like that?" Hermione thought for a long moment. She wanted this woman to stop destroying lives and spreading lies. But how was she supposed to do that?

"She needs to be taught a lesson," Hermione agreed carefully, before staring at the colourful beetle that seemed to get more and more agitated in its prison. Merlin, now it wasn't just one infamous woman Hermione needed to punish and protect at the same time, but two. And suddenly Hermione knew what to do with her. "But maybe I am the wrong person teaching it to her." She said with a devilish grin that he couldn't help but find sexy.

Without further explanation, she grabbed the jar from the table and carried it into her room. Voldemort followed her, but Hermione ignored him for now. Instead, she walked in front of Professor Umbridge's tank, where she opened the lid and said to the toad:

"Hello Professor. I do have some company for you." She held the jar up, pointing at the beetle sitting in it. "This is Rita Skeeter. She's our guest now, too. You might remember her from the article I left for you earlier."

The toad stared at the beetle for a long moment, before it jumped next to the tiny newspaper that Hermione had left for her earlier. Hermione nodded. "I thought you might enjoy some company in your confinement. And to be frank with you, Miss Skeeter could be really in dire need of some detention. She simply won't learn her lesson." With that, she dumped the agitated Animagus into the glass tank, before hastily closing the lid again. It wasn't a moment too soon, as the little insect immediately tried to make an escape. "I'm sure the two of you will get along splendidly." The toad croaked, before slowly walking towards the beetle while focussing it hungrily with its yellow eyes. Hermione could only hope, that Professor Umbridge would not try eating her. The house-elves kept their new pet well-fed after all. This way she kept them both close and as safe as possible. Plus they did deserve to be punished.

"I do admire your creativity, my Dear," Voldemort admitted with a slight smile on his lips. "Well? How did you like that little surprise? Are you feeling better, now?"

She did indeed, though she'd never admit that in front of him. She did however reward him with a cruel little smile. It's not like she could keep antagonizing the man until he snapped at her.

ssssssss

It was the second time this week that the Dark Lord called him, which was highly unusual. Today the man had at least waited until his classes were finished for the day and Severus had managed, to correct at least some of those dunderhead's essays. Because work started piling up for him, now that he had also agreed to teach Occlumency to his godson. Thank Merlin the boy had more talent and patience than Potter.

Severus rose from his desk with a heavy sigh. It would probably be another nightshift for him, but it couldn't be helped. Grabbing some more of the pain and cramp relievers he had brewed for Hermione he donned his travelling cloak and took stored his Death Eater mask in a pocket sewn to the inner side. It was barely a minute later, that he left his chambers to make his way to the apparation point. Only a few more minutes, than he would know what the Dark Lord needed him for this time.

"Ah, Severus, my loyal servant," his master greeted him as soon as he entered the throne room.

"Master," Severus greeted back, sinking down to one knee. "How can I be of service to you today?"

The Dark Lord smiled, before motioning for him to stand up. "I do need your brewing expertise again, my friend."

The Potions Master nodded. "Of course. I already took the liberty of bringing some more of the pain potions for Miss Granger, as I was not sure how long those I prepared for her would last her," he explained, earning himself a pleased smile from his master.

"Very good. This is not what I called you here for, though. The potion I need this time is a bit more experimental. You'll probably have to invent it from scratch."

Severus stared at the man in surprise, but deep down he could feel the uneasiness starting to rise. This didn't sound good. "An experimental potion? Are you sure, my Lord?"

His master looked at him for a long moment and Severus realized that it probably hadn't been wise to question his master. He cursed inwardly. But suddenly his master's face turned into an approving smile. "I do appreciate your honesty, especially considering that the last experimental ritual went wrong. It restored my body and mind, but this body is a disgrace for a Dark Lord. This is why I want you to brew a potion that will restore my old body and if possible rejuvenating it a bit."

_Salazar's hairy balls! The man had lost his mind_, Severus thought, keeping a neutral face. How was he supposed to achieve that? His head started making quick calculations and the first arithmantic equations came to his mind. It could work… "To construct such a potion I will need time, my Lord. And some of the ingredients I'll need might be hard to procure."

His master nodded. "Of course. Do not worry my friend. There is no haste and through my connections, I'll be able to supply you with anything you might need."

Severus nodded thoughtfully. "That depends. The easiest and safest way to do it would be using something from your past. As you do want to restore your old body it needs to be something frequently used during the time before your transformation. Considering you want to de-age yourself, the item should preferably be from the age you want to go back to."

The Dark Lord looked at him with an analysing expression. "I understand. Do make your calculations my friend. In the meantime, I'll try to procure with the item you've asked for."

Severus bowed. "It will be done as you say, my Lord."

"I know it will," the man in front of him said with a self-satisfied smile. "You're one of my most faithful servants. I have total confidence in your abilities."

Severus sighed inwardly. That was the problem. He was good and the Dark Lord knew it, which would only give him so much time to stall the inevitable. The Dark Lord in his old body… The man had been full of charm and charisma in Severus' youth. The thought of having this version of him stay in a house with Hermione made him shudder. The girl was the reason why his Lord ordered him to make the potion in the first place, Severus had no doubt about it. And that realisation terrified him more than he could ever express.

ssssssss

He leaned back on his throne with a satisfied little smile. The plan was set. Severus Snape would not disappoint him, he never had. The man was brilliant, a true potions prodigy, and he was devoted to him. It might take the man some time, but in the end he'd figure out a way for him to get what he desired. He would be young and handsome again, with his Queen on his side. Sooner or later he'd make her immortal, too then she could be at his side forever. They would rule the world together – _forever_. It would be magnificent.

But first he needed to find an item that could be used for the potion. Something that he had frequently touched in his old body and that was still available to him. There was his wan, of course, but he would only give it up as a last option. There had to be something else… and suddenly he knew it. A victorious smile graced his thin, pale lips as he remembered a certain necklace, hidden away in a cave, protected by an army of Inferi. When he had first found it, he had carried it around his neck for weeks. He was the heir of Slytherin, after all, and he had finally found what was truly his. Only later he had decided to make it a Horcrux. The ritual had taken him months to prepare. He could get the necklace and move the soul piece somewhere else. Then, he could give the locket to Severus. It would be a worthy base for his renewed body.

Lord Voldemort smiled. It was a brilliant plan. Now it was only a matter of time until the Gryffindor lioness would be truly his. No one had managed to resist his old charms in his past, after all.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Preparations

_One month later_

Harry had learned his lesson the hard way, but he had learned. Since Hermione was taken from the Ministry more than a month had gone by but after Snape had finally started to teach him properly, Harry's concentration had only slipped two times. Thank Merlin, because the pictures he got from Voldemort were truly terrifying. His friend didn't even look like _Hermion_e any longer, her hair tamed into soft curls while she was clad into dresses that would have been fitting for a grown woman. He shuddered at the implication of that. Hermione wore them with a grace Harry had never before realised she possessed. She seemed to have changed. Her eyes had taken on a cold, calculative glint. Whatever Voldemort had done to her, it had squashed every bit of kindness that once reflected in them. Was she under the Imperius? Had he seduced her? From everything Harry had seen through his visions, it was possible: Hermione panting and sweaty, with her eyes bright while she smiled at this _monster_. It was nauseating. What had _happened _to his friend, what was _wrong _with her?

But even worse were the feelings Harry experienced during those visions. He suddenly looked at Hermione with a hunger he had never known before. It wasn't love, more like an unhealthy obsession to possess her, make her his. Harry knew that this weren't originally his feelings, that it must be Voldemort experiencing them, but for some time afterwards, it was still difficult for him to ban those pictures and the _lust_ from his head. Hermione's creamy neck haunted him for days when he closed his eyes and it took him every ounce of willpower to finally ban her from his head. He couldn't think about Hermione right now, otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to do, what Snape had asked him to.

"Concentrate Potter," Snape scolded him with an annoyed expression on his face. "If you continue like that I won't even need to cast the spell to read your thoughts."

Harry huffed in annoyance. That git could talk. It wasn't like his best friend was in the hands of this madman. "Alright. Sorry, Sir." He took a deep breath before he emptied his mind and locked away all the feelings that distracted him. He needed to prepare himself, or else he'd see Hermione torture some poor soul next time.

ssssssss

Time was running out for him, Severus knew it. Today he'd have to present his potion formula to the Dark Lord as he couldn't stall it any longer without getting to feel the consequences. As soon as that was done, he would have to start brewing.

"My Lord," he greeted his Master, kneeling on the cold marble floor again. "I finally figured the formula out. If all goes well, the potion will be finished two weeks after starting the brewing process. Do you have said item I'll require to do so? We'll need to use it as an anchor."

"Not yet, my friend. But now that your formula is finished it is time for me to procure the said item. I will contact you again, as soon as it is done."

Severus nodded devotedly. "I will anxiously wait for your call then. It is my utmost wish to help you gain what is rightfully yours." He left open what that was but he was sure, that his master would find numerous possibilities what that could be, not least Hermione. Luckily her exams at the Ministry were only days away. If everything went well, she would no longer be there, when the Dark Lord regained his old body. Still, he could not count on it. So many things could go wrong.

He'd make that damned potion, just in case, even though he never planned returning to the man as soon as he had gotten Hermione out of there. She would not be able to go back to Hogwarts as the Headmaster would not leave her in peace until she had linked herself to someone of his choosing. Apart from that, there was still an unknown number of junior Death Eaters in the castle that would try to capture her again. Severus would never let her return to that monster even though she'd probably hate him for keeping her away from her education. But it couldn't be helped.

Where should they go? Spinner's end was not an option, as the place was known to many of his Death Eater comrades. He could, of course, put it under a Fidelius, but that shit hole wasn't really worth the effort and the charm would not safe them from being caught in the surroundings of the house. Which meant that he needed a new place to stay, a place where they would not be found.

With a sigh, he started summoning his most valuable possessions as well as several vials he had used to store critical memories in. He would no longer leave them at Hogwarts as he would not be able to reach them here after he had cut ties with the Dark Lord and the Headmaster. Yes, he needed the man to get Hermione out of the Ministry, but he didn't plan to just leave her to the next manipulator afterwards. It was the most Gryffindor thing he had even planned to do in his life, even though he had planned like the true Slytherin that he was.

In wasn't long until he grabbed his travelling cloak once more ad strode out of the castle. A visit to Gringotts was in order. There he would update his will and exchange some wizarding money into muggle cash. If there was a place where he and Hermione could successfully disappear, then it was the Muggle world.

Tomorrow he'd start making the potion, _his own potion_. When he really wanted to disappear, he needed to get rid of that damned Dark Mark. Otherwise, the Dark Lord would be able to find him or at least torture him through it. And he'd rather avoid _that_ experience. Unfortunately, there was no ritual or spell known to him, to rid him of the damned thing. His master had designed the thing himself and as long as Severus didn't know the details of the spell, there was no chance of finding a counterspell to it. This only left cutting his arm and regrowing it through a potion. It was a horrible idea and it would be incredibly painful to do so, which probably was why no one ever tried it. But Severus had designed a potion to return his master into his old body. Regrowing an arm was child's play compared to that.

ssssssss

"You sure that's a good idea, Freddy?" George asked his brother as they sneaked through the castle once more after curfew. Thanks to their daily duelling lesson and research for useful spells they had gotten better with defending themselves. And by Merlin, they had needed it. Several times there was a group of Slytherins waiting for them whenever they left he Gryffindor tower at night. But thanks to Snape's detention Fred and George were prepared, as the man had given them a taste, what a real non-friendly duel looked like. None of those Slytherins had that advantage, as they were all still students and had the same horrible defence teachers as Fred and George. One day they had to thank the dungeon bat for giving them a warning, as it had probably saved their lives more than once.

"I'm still not sure if we can trust the man," George continued to whisper, as they made their way through the dungeons. "Apart from that, we don't even know if he's even still in his office."

He couldn't see his brother's reaction as they were both disillusioned. Being invisible didn't only protect them from losing house points to a teacher discovering them, but it also helped them to avoid the eager Slytherins, that were still trying to hunt them down. Nowadays those snakes didn't even see or hear them coming which meant that those idiots usually didn't even have time to pull their wands against them. "We still have to try, Georgie. The man is our best chance."

It wasn't long until they were in front of the man's office. Only once they had to avoid a patrolling prefect duo, otherwise, the Hogwarts corridors had been suspiciously empty.

George only gave a hum as an answer, before he heard his brother knocking on the door. For a moment nothing happened, but then suddenly the door was pulled open and a grumpy looking Professor Snape stared at the spot where they were hidden with small eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly without even having to ask who was in front of his door. How did he know it was them?

"Can we please come in, Sir?" George asked him politely and as quietly as possible. Being overheard would not work in their advantage.

For a moment their Professor seemed to contemplate his options, but finally, he stepped aside with an unintelligible grunt. Hastily Fred and George slipped inside before they lifted the disillusionment. "Sorry for disturbing you this late," Fred apologized while looking at the man with a crooked grin. "We will not disturb you for long. But we came to ask for your help."

Snape looked at them with a raised brow. "How unexpected. Why not bother your own Head of the House? I'm sure she would be more than capable and willing to do so."

George looked at his brother for a short moment, but asking him for his thoughts on the matter was not necessary. They had extensively discussed their options beforehand. "This is about Hermione, Sir. We hope you might be able and willing to help her as you're…"

"Don't even think about continuing that sentence, Mr Weasley," the man warned him with a dark expression on his face. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh. "Miss Granger is beyond my reach, as she is protected by the best wards apart from Hogwarts. She will not be able to leave those wards if the Dark Lord does not want her to. There's nothing either of us can do about that, considering we even want to do something about it."

George stared at the man for a long moment. He knew the man for many years now. Even though what he was saying was meant to discourage them, the boy found more interesting what he was _not_ saying. He nodded. "I understand. Still, we have to try to get her back."

Fred nodded next to him. "We love her."

Snape's mouth twitched, but even though he could have flouted them for it, he didn't. "I fear I cannot help you, gentlemen."

George nodded calmly. He hadn't expected another answer. "No, probably not. But we had to ask. Could you at least take this?"

He offered the man a silver sickle. "In case you find Hermione or need help, you'll be able to reach us through this. Say the names of our Prewett uncles and the coin will take you to us."

The man looked at them with an angry expression. "Have you two lost your minds?" he asked, his voice suddenly thunderous. "The Dark Lord wants the two of you dead and you've got no better idea than giving _this_ to a Death Eater? I could lead him directly to you and serve him your heads on a silver platter. How many more of those did you make?"

Fred looked at him with a calm expression on his face. "One. We plan giving it to Hermione if we ever see her again."

Snape shook his head with a sigh. "Only a Gryffindor would think that's a good idea."

They nodded. "Will you take the coin anyway? It's not coming with any conditions."

The man didn't reply right away. Instead, he studied both of them with dark, fathomless eyes. "Give it here then. And now out with you, before I give you detention for being out after curfew."

The twins nodded in unison. "Yes, sir," they chorused, saluted and recast the disillusionment charm. A moment later they left the office, after saying their goodbyes to a grim-faced professor. George didn't care about that though. They didn't visit the man because he was a nice guy, no. There were only two persons that could help Hermione now. Snape was one of them and he had just accepted their coin.

"Did you do it?" George asked his twin when they were halfway back to the Gryffindor tower.

Fred hummed in agreeance. "Sure. I'm not an amateur, Freddy. Whatever Snape is up to in his office, we'll be able to hear. If he's really on our side, we'll activate the code words. If not, then we just lost a sickle, dear brother."

George snorted. "We'll get over it."

sssssssss

"I'll be gone from the house for a few hours," Lord Voldemort told his lioness over dinner. She was still sitting at the other end of the table, too far away from him, but this was about to change once he'd gotten the necklace from the cave today.

"Will you answer when I ask where you'll be going?" the girl asked neutrally while nibbling on a grape. He loved it when she did that. He smiled.

"Not today. But one day I'll tell you about that secret of mine," he promised and saw her eyes widen in surprise. She was still sceptically and distant towards him most of the time. She no longer contradicted him though which made him believe, that he had slowly gotten her thinking. It was a start.

She shrugged. "Whatever. I'll go to the library then. I've found books to b excellent company."

He smiled. "They are. I've preferred them to human company myself in the past. Not any longer though." His eyes fixed her with an unmistakable gaze and for a moment she looked back again, before lowering her eyes to her plate. A few weeks ago she would have stared back at him with fire in her eyes or said something to push him back. Not any longer. Suddenly his lioness seemed almost shy, like she secretly wished to accept his attentions but didn't know how to. He guessed it could be quite intimidating to be wooed by a Dark Lord. Hopefully, she'd find his new body more … approachable.

He waited until she had settled into the library. From experience, he knew, that he would get lost in one of the books in a matter of minutes. This would make her forget everything around her, while her eyes would take on this dreamy look, that he secretly enjoyed watching. But not today. Today he had more important things to do.

The door to her room was unlocked, not that a locking charm or the wards she was able to procure were able to hold him off for longer than a minute. His girl knew that everything this room contained was his anyway, well _most_ of the things.

With a wide grin, he stepped next to the tank that was now occupied by two of annoying witches. It had taken him a while to decide, which one to take along on this journey. In the end, he had decided on the one that was less likely to get away by chance.

"Well, Professor Umbridge. I fear your stay in this house has come to an end," he said, while carefully opening the lid. "You and I will make a little journey today, a journey you'll find most _agitating_. Have you been to the sea lately?"

The ugly toad tried hopping away from him, but his hand was faster than her. It darted towards her like an attacking snake and grabbed her around the middle. The ugly animal croaked pitifully before it landed in a large glass jar he had conjured for it. Closing the lid with a wave of his wand he looked at the agitated beetle with red, gleaming eyes. "And you Miss Skeeter better behave yourself. Otherwise, I'll be assigning you to help the next time."

Pocketing the jar inside of his robes he silently left his lioness' room. Surely she would ask him what had happened to her pet toad. He could always say the ugly thing had gotten away somehow but he would probably tell her the truth. The girl would be his queen and she didn't deserve to be lied to. He wanted her to trust him, after all, and she would never do so after she had discovered he had lied to him.

Using the toad to drink the potion for him was definitely easier than assigning a house-elf to do it. His girl was strangely attached to these pitiful creatures. Well, he too had his quirks, so he would gladly accept this one if it helped to let her see, that he was not the monster she took him for.

ssssssss

Hermione stared at the newspaper with furrowed brows. Upstairs in the library there was a whole collection of them, she had discovered. Voldemort had truly kept every edition of the daily prophet, going back to the end of 1926. Looks like the man had kept every newspaper going back to the day of his birth. _Interesting._

Those old copies of the wizarding newspaper were Hermione's favourite reading material, when she got tired of stuffing her brain with new spells and curses. She loved learning, especially now that Voldemort's endless library was at her disposal, but learning about the past was equally fascinating to her, especially when the knowledge wasn't presented through Professor Binns.

**_Reporter still missing_**

by Jason Pickford

_Rita Skeeter, seasoned reporter for the daily prophet has been missing for weeks. Shortly after her article about the missing Hogwarts student Rita Skeeter disappeared. She never came in the next day and after two days the Aurors were called in. A search of miss skeeter apartment showed no signs of a break-in but all of her belongings were still there. The Aurors speculate she was taken either on her way home or in a public place. _

_The daily prophet encourages its readers to please be on the lookout for our top reporter. We wish her a safe return._

Hermione looked at yesterday's article with a sigh. Jason Pickford seemed a much better reporter than Rita Skeeter, but he also seemed strangely hesitant for a Daily Prophet – journalist with formulating his opinion. He hadn't even mentioned her name in the article. Could it be that he afraid of her? Did the public now blame her for Rita Skeeter's disappearance, as they probably blamed her for Professor Umbridge's? Hermione turned the page with a sigh.

**_Hermione Granger still missing_**

by Jason Pickford

_Well known Hogwarts student and Gryffindor princess Hermione Granger has still not been found. Eyewitnesses, like the renowned Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore reported, that the girl had been taken from the Ministry. Other sources say, that the girl who is said to be the Open Link went into hiding or left the country with her parents, who appear to have disappeared as well. The disappearance of Miss Granger is still a big mystery to everybody, Aurors and Ministry alike. Everybody wishes that the well-liked student and Prefect will be found soon, as numerous high ranking society members cannot wait to finally meet her in person. _

Hermione stared at the article in disbelief. The Daily Prophet had sure changed its tone towards her. Was it because they were suddenly afraid of her? It was possible because the fact that she was reported being the Open Link had not stopped them speculating about her role at Professor Umbridge's disappearance. She sighed. Why was it that only fear made them treat her with respect? Was this seriously how the wizarding world worked these days? She hoped not.


	48. Chapter 48

A.N.: Warning: this chapter does contain the mention of torture, no explicit descriptions though. But if you are triggered by such things, you should probably skip the first two paragraphs.

Chapter 48: Rage

The Horcrux was _gone_, taken by that traitor Regulus Black. If Voldemort hadn't been sure the boy was long dead, he would have tortured him until his brain was nothing more than goo. But Regulus Black was _gone_, he felt him dying through the Dark Mark that he had branded him with.

But what about the Horcrux? Shouldn't he have felt when one of his soul pieces was destroyed? Probably. This could only mean that Slytherin's locket was still somewhere, the question was only _where_. He'd have to find it, hide it again behind better defences. But first, he needed something he could give to Snape, something that would help him restore his old body. Probably any Horcrux would do. Every one of them had a very special meaning to him and his old self had spent months with each item to prepare it for the ritual. Considering that he wanted Severus to start brewing his potion as soon as possible, it would be best, if he asked Lucius for his old diary. He had spent months, no years, writing into that damned thing, feeding it with all his hopes and dreams of a better world. Maybe his diary would even make a better base for his new body than Slytherin's locket would have. Still, sooner or later he'd have to find the damned thing. But first, it was time for a visit with one of his lieutenants.

A moan from the ground brought him back into the cave. Dolores Umbridge, now back to her human form, was lying on the floor, clutching her stomach in pain. It had been hard work, making her drink every last drop of the potion. For the last two rounds, she had been fighting his Imperius with vigour, he hadn't expected from the plump woman. But of course, she hadn't stood a chance against his magical power and spell control.

"Forgive me, mother, forgive me," she repeated over and over her eyes staring at the cave with unseeing eyes. He could simply push her into the water and be done with her; it would safe him a lot of trouble. But then he thought about his lioness and her reaction to such a treatment of her new, favourite pet. He groaned. Leaving the woman here was not an option.

With a sigh and not a small portion of disgust he grabbed the woman's wrist, before directly apparating from the small island. He'd obliviate her and leave her in the Ministry for the Aurors to find. Considering the state Professor Umbridge was in there was no doubt that she wasn't in the state to betray any of his secrets ever again.

ssssssss

"Master!" his servant Lucius greeted him, climbing down the wide staircase of his Manor with his body clad in a black silken dressing-gown. His blond her was still in impeccable order, even though he must have been roused from bed by the house elves only moments ago.

"Lucius, my faithful servant. I am sorry for disturbing you at such a late hour. I require one of my possessions, the book I gave you about twenty years ago. I need it back, my friend."

For a moment the man did not react, but then his face went white while he started trembling in fear. "Forgive me, Master," he said his voice suddenly hoarse. "I no longer have it."

He looked at his servant with small, dangerous eyes. "Who has it then? Where is it?" he asked, his voice deadly calm, even though he felt the rage building up inside him.

The blonde man threw himself to his feet, looking at him with grey, scared eyes. "You were gone, master. I had no hope of you ever returning to us. I gave it to a girl, a blood traitor in the hope to bring Hogwarts down from the inside. I did it for you, master."

"So the book is at Hogwarts then. Does the girl still have it?" Voldemort asked further, his hand starting to twitch. The man to his feet whimpered.

"It was destroyed, my Lord. To my knowledge it was Potter. The boy…" Lucius didn't get any further, as the first silent Crucio hit him by surprise.

"_Destroyed_ you say?" the Dark Lord asked, no longer able to suppress the rage in his voice. "_Destroyed?_"

He heard the pathetic man beg for forgiveness on the floor, heard his wife scream somewhere in the background. But he didn't care. Flames of rage threatened to swallow him, burn him. He needed to let them out and this man had _deserved _his rage. He had disappointed him in the worst way possible; he had _murdered _a part of him. And now he would learn what it meant to disappoint the Dark Lord like that. No one did so twice.

ssssssss

With an animalistic scream, Harry leapt from his bed, his body covered in sweat. He had seen it, had been there and he had felt the rage Voldemort felt when learning that part of his soul was gone, destroyed by _him_, Harry. He had tortured that man, tortured Lucius Malfoy, in his house and _god_ he wanted to make him suffer for what he had done to him. But that wasn't _him_, Harry reminded himself, that was Voldemort. So why did it feel like he had been the one doing it and wanting all those horrible things?

"Harry? You alright mate?" he suddenly heard Ron's voice right behind him.

Following his first instinct, Harry wanted to snap at him, to hurt him. He balled his hands to fists, gritted his teeth and said: "It's Voldemort, he's furious. Something happened… we need to see Professor McGonagall."

Bless Ronald Weasley! His friend didn't question him, just nodded before taking him by the arm and leading him outside of the room. Keeping a steady pace he mumbled encouraging words to him, before knocking at McGonagall's door only a few moments later.

"Everything will be alright, mate," Harry heard him say, just as the Professor's hasty steps rang through the door. "Just tell her everything you've seen. She and the Headmaster will sort that out, you'll see."

Harry hoped his friend was right because somehow he had the feeling that what he had just seen was somehow important.

ssssssss

The woman stared at him with fire and passion in her eyes, while that pitiful excuse of a Death Eater moaned behind him on the floor. The man, unfortunately, had still not outlived his usefulness, even though it would probably be a while until he would be able to be useful to anybody again.

"Now Bella," he said looking at her with red, challenging eyes. "Will you disappoint me too, like your brother-in-law did?"

"Never, my Lord," Bellatrix Lestrange said with conviction in her grey eyes. "I am your most devoted servant and in contrast to my extended family _I do as I am told._" She almost spat the last words, staring at her sister who was kneeling on the floor next to her husband with disgust.

"Very good," he said, the anger in him slowly boiling down again. "Come with me then. I'm most anxious to be reunited with one of my most valuable possessions."

ssssssss

Severus was just about to go to bed when his floo roared to life. _Merlin, what did the old goat want now? _It wasn't Dumbledore though who bothered him to such an ungodly hour but Narsicca Malfoy who was shouting his name as her head peaked through the flames.

"Severus, help!" she begged him, wide eyes with terror and red with tears. "Please, it's Lucius! The Dark Lord… he … he broke him." The woman sobbed. It was a sound he had never before heard from her and somehow that told him the situation was serious.

He cursed. "I'm coming," he shouted, dashing for his secret stash of highly potent healing potions. Some of them he had brewed for his run with Hermione, but he owed Lucius more than he could possibly ever repay. He would restock his supply immediately once he returned.

Lucius was lying in the middle of the parlour, covered in all bodily fluids imaginable and no longer conscious. His limbs were spread in an unnatural angle, making him look like a broken ragdoll.

"What curses?" he calmly asked Narcissa who was openly crying next to him on the floor.

"Only Crucio," the woman hiccupped, staring at her husband with trembling lips. "But he's been under it for almost twenty minutes."

Severus nodded with outward calmness but inwardly he cursed. Such a long exposure to the curse left irreparable damage, no matter how skilled the healer. Severus was not even a trained healer though, only a Potions Master with a knack for Dark Magic and healing charms. It was a far cry from what his friend needed right now, but he would do his damnest to safe his friend anyway.

"I'll try stabilizing him enough to get him into St Mungo's," he calmly explained while charming the contents of the first potion bottle directly into Lucius' stomach. It would be the first of many before his friend would even start to recover. And Severus couldn't help but ask himself, what had brought the Dark Lord to even put the man in such a state. Whatever it was, Severus could only hope that Hermione was currently far away from that monster.

ssssssss

The next morning came and Voldemort was nowhere to be seen. The breakfast table was well stocked, as usual, but his seat was empty. It had never happened before and if Hermione had only remotely cared about him, she would have been worried. Well, that was not true, she realized. Because she was worried, but not about him. Where was he? What was he doing? Was he working on some major coup that would bring down the wizarding world? Killing unsuspecting muggles? Hermione didn't know and that made her nervous. Even if she detested being in his presence, she still knew where he was and what he was doing. Having him gone made her fear for the rest of the population.

But there was another thing equally alarming for her: Professor Umbridge was gone. Back in the tank, there was only the colourful beetle left and when Hermione opened the tank in the morning to check, whether the toad was hiding below a rock or something, Rita had not even tried to escape. Instead, she had hastily crawled into a faraway corner and hidden with shivering antennas. What had happened to make her that afraid of her? She hadn't _done_ anything to her.

The question was at least partly answered during breakfast, as suddenly the Daily Prophet appeared on the breakfast table. Hermione had learned, that the house-elves were tasked with delivering it, as owls were not able to reach the house. For a moment she eyed the newspaper cautiously, but then she followed an impulse and accioed the thing for herself. She didn't have to search long, as already the front page told her what had become of Professor Umbridge:

**Dolores Umbridge found unconscious at the Ministry**

by Newt Thatcher

_The reappearance of Hogwarts former High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge has the Aurors confronted with a big mystery. The unconscious witch was found by a group of early workers in the Ministry's entrance hall, from where she was immediately transferred to St Mungo's hospital. Chef healer Wardric reported that Miss Umbridge had ingested a __large__ amount of an unknown potion. Therefore she is now treated for potion poisoning. We wish her a speedy recovery and are most anxious about the story, she will eventually tell. _

Hermione read the article twice before staring at the page with unseeing eyes. Umbridge had ingested a potion? How? Where? Had Voldemort tortured her? But _why_? The questions kept echoing through her head. She'd have to wait for Voldemort's return to get an answer to them, but she _would _get an answer. That, she promised to herself.

She had to wait until lunch for the man to make an appearance. He seemed his usual, superior self but at a second look, Hermione found, that something was boiling below the surface. After living with the man for six weeks she had gotten sensible to his moods.

"You're back," she said, looking at him with a carefully calm expression. "As is Professor Umbridge, if the Prophet is to be believed." Hermione motioned towards the newspaper that she had placed back on his side of the table, after finishing her breakfast.

He nodded. "She outlived her usefulness, I fear. I needed her for a special project of mine."

"I didn't know you were into potions lately. I thought that's why you're keeping Professor Snape around," Hermione continued in a casual voice, even though it took all her willpower not to snap at that man. But her instincts told her, that this would have been a horrible idea today.

"I do. Professor Umbridge only helped me get one of the ingredients Severus will need brewing his next masterpiece. She was very useful, I can assure you, which is why I decided to drop her off with those idiots at the Ministry. I hope you approve." He looked at her with observant, red eyes and Hermione asked herself if he was waiting for her to shout at him. She wanted to, she really did. But all her instincts adjured her not to.

"If the alternative was killing her then I do. But I admit being displeased that you took her from me in the first place. I got the impression she was mine to keep," she stated boldly, staring at the man with challenging brown eyes. "Or did I misunderstand something here?"

For a moment his eye twitched before his mouth formed a pleased little smile. "I didn't know that you've gotten this attached to your new pet, my Dear. If I had known I would have brought her back for you to take care of her. As it is, she is lost to us for now. But maybe I could compensate you with something else, maybe a new pet? How would you like that?"

Hermione kept her face carefully blank, even though her stomach clenched in horror. She didn't want a new pet, for god's sake!

"I do have a pet of my own, did you know that my Dear?" the man continued, without giving Hermione the chance to reply to his words. "She could be your pet, too."

She shuddered. Of course, she knew about the man's pet snake. It was the animal that attacked Mr Weasley, after all.

"I'm not in need of a new pet, thank you," she replied carefully but was suddenly distracted by a slithering noise behind her. And just when she wanted to turn around she saw it, a gigantic snake sliding across the floor directly towards her. She froze in horror.

"Nagini has been very loyal, ever since she decided to follow me. There's no need to be afraid of her, you can trust her as much as you trust me."

_That's the problem_, Hermione answered in her head, while her eyes fixated the huge reptile that was now right next to her. _I don't trust you one bit._

The snake paused and raised its head until it was directly looking at her. She tried to suppress the shiver that ran down her back as she realized that its eyes were almost the same at Voldemort's. They were different in colour, yes, but there was the same intelligent gleam in them.

"Nagini can protect you, Miss Granger and I'm sure she would love to be petted by you," Voldemort continued, his eyes now totally fixated on her and the snake. Hermione wanted to be anywhere but here, but right now there was nowhere for her to go. She wasn't even sure of the snake would let her get up from her chair as she found the reptile looking her with hungry eyes. When as the last time that animal had eaten? Merlin, _what_ had it even eaten? She was sure a rat or a mouse wasn't nearly enough for an animal of that size.

As if to acknowledge its master's words the snake carefully lowered its head only to rest it on Hermione's lap, like a dog might have done. There, it closed its eyes as if it was waiting for Hermione to touch it. She looked at Voldemort with wide eyes.

"See? Nagini already likes you," he said with a wide smile nodding towards the two of them. "Touch her, my lioness. I swear she will not harm you in any way."

Hermione closed her eyes in despair, fighting the urge to just wet herself with fear or run screaming from the room. _Only three more days_, she promised herself before taking a deep breath. She could do that, could get through that as well. But Merlin, she _hated_ snakes.

Her Occlumency shields firmly in place she finally opened her eyes, staring at the animal's head in her lap with dark eyes. Then her hand slowly moved towards the reptile's head, touching the dry scales a moment later. The snake blinked lazily at her before closing its eyes again. When would that huge beast leave her alone again? Hermione asked herself, while carefully petting its head with measured strokes. All the time she could feel her jailer's eyes study her with a hungry gleam in them.

_Only three more days_, she chanted in her head over and over again. Three more days and then she would finally leave this snake pit behind.

ssssssss


	49. Chapter 49

A.N.: Hello guys, I hope you all had a great week. We're getting closer to Hermione's escape, but it will take some more chapters, sorry. I know you're all getting more and more desperate for her to finally leave Voldemort's clutches and have her reunited with the twins. Believe me, she wants that, too. ;-) I mean, Voldemort is a creepy bastard and he's getting worse with every chapter... But we all knew that wouldn't be a walk in the park for our poor girl. I'm as always looking forward to your comments. Are you all still with me and the story? Or did you get bored by now?

Chapter 49: False play

_Finally,_ Lord Voldemort thought, carefully suppressing a moan as he felt his lioness's fingers caressing his beloved pet. He and Nagini were connected in a very special way - a way that enabled him to feel what she felt and act through her, if need be. Right now he wanted to, but slipping into his pet's head required quite a lot of concentration, which would have given him away. Therefore he made do with savouring his witch's touch which she ever so gently bestowed on his beloved pet's head and enjoying the intoxicating scent that emanated from his lioness lap. She was shaking though and he could tell that it was from fear. His lioness was afraid of Nagini, even though she had never been afraid of him. Right now, he didn't care. He even liked to see her tremble at least at this very special occasion. The day had brought so many disappointments for him and punishing Lucius had not been nearly enough to vent his frustration. Making his witch tremble and being able to _feel_ it was perfect, as it not only soothed his nerves but also gave him enough to feed his fantasies.

Soon his prize would touch him too, run her fingers through his black hair or across his muscular chest. Not long now, until he would have his potion and with it his old, handsome body. But for that to happen he first had to move his soul piece to another item or being. Then he could hand Hufflepuffs cup over to Severus. Luckily Lord Voldemort knew exactly the right vessel for that purpose.

ssssssss

Severus was called to the Dark Lord two days after he had saved Lucius' life. It had been a close call for his friend, but somehow he and Narcissa had managed to get the man into St Mungo's where he would be treated for the unforeseeable future. Lucius Malfoy would never be the same intimidating figure he had once been. Severus was positive that he had saved the man's sanity and intellect at least, but some bodily pains and malfunctions would stay. Which ones that were only time would tell.

Severus could only hope that the Dark Lord was in a better mood today and did not feel like torturing him as well. With that madman, one could never know.

"Ah Severus," his master greeted him with a welcoming smile on his thin lips, while petting the head of his gigantic snake. How had that reptile gotten here? Did it live in the same house as Hermione now? He sincerely hoped not.

"Master," Severus greeted back with a deep bow.

"I got what you've been asking for, my friend," the man said and carefully lifted a golden cup towards him. It was golden and the badger on its side was clearly visible to him. There was no question what it was.

"Very well," Severus said looking at his master with dark eyes. Then he conjured a magical container that was usually used for collecting fragile potion ingredients and levitated the cup carefully inside. "As soon as I am finished with the potion, I will send a call through the Dark Mark, master. Expect it in about a week."

The Dark Lord nodded, his eyes glowing and his mouth turned into a generous smile. "Excellent. Try not to disappoint me, Severus. I'd hate to lose another one of my most trusted servants."

The potions master nodded. "Don't worry my Lord. I know exactly what I'm doing."

Severus did. He knew what he was doing. It just wasn't what his master expected him to do.

Ssssssss

Hermione hated that damned snake with a passion. The thing seemed to follow her everywhere except to her room and the bathroom. As soon as she had sat down, it would roll together on the floor, right next to her, or worse, bury its head on her lap again to ask for her attention. For a while Hermione had tried ignoring the damned thing, but that only led to a snake suddenly staring into her face and moving its tongue expectantly. It had been one of the scariest things in her life and Hermione felt uncomfortably reminded of her encounter with the basilisk. Right at this moment, she had nearly passed out and only the iron grip she had on her feelings prevented her from doing so. Still, she had learned that ignoring the snake was not a good idea and so she stroked its head from time to time, in the hope to avoid such a scary encounter again.

It was like she had gained a lap-dog or something, which would have been cute if the thing didn't give her the willies. In her head, she was counting the hours until her first exams at the Ministry, because secretly she hoped that Severus would get her out of there right away. But as the exams were planned for several days, he would probably use the chance to spy everything out, at first. Which meant that she would probably have to hold out some more days, but that was alright. She'd spend a large part of them in the Ministry anyway, which meant that there was no time for that horrible snake to bother her. Thank Merlin! She'd have nightmares about that huge reptile for weeks and months, that much was sure. Luckily Crooks would soon be back at her side, which meant that she could cuddle him whenever it happened. Stroking his soft fur would hopefully make her forget the feeling of dry scales below her fingers - but it would take a while.

"You look worried," Voldemort said, pulling her out of her thoughts with his words. "Don't tell me you're worried about not passing your exams, because I can assure you that this fear is totally unnecessary. You're well prepared."

Hermione forced herself to smile which was hard, as that obtrusive reptile was back in her lap. "I know I am. But I don't just want to pass, I want to be the best. I want to show people that I'm not just to be respected, because I'm the Open Link. I want them to respect me because of my intelligence and magical ability, not just because of some sort of magical anomaly, I don't even fully understand myself."

Her jailer nodded. "I understand the need to be the best. I was, at my time. But I can assure you, my dear, I will not think less of you if you only make second or third. These are unusual circumstances for you and as I have taught you myself, I know how talented you are."

Somehow his words made her heart swell, even though she really shouldn't have cared about them. But the man was a talented wizard who had met and duelled some amazing wizards. Even though she disliked him she got the impression that his words were honest and not just meant to charm her. And coming from a self-proclaimed Dark Lord those words were high praise. She didn't know what to reply to his words, which happened to her more and more often now. A few weeks ago she would have told him, that she did not care about his opinion, but ever since talking to Severus, she tried reigning her Gryffindor tendencies in as much as possible. Affronting him would do her no good, as it would either anger him or make her even more interesting to him and both were options that didn't look appealing to her.

"I'll still do my best. I've been working towards those OWLs for years and I won't let them slip through my fingers now or let anybody take them away from me."

He looked at her with a soothing smile. "Nobody will take them away from you, my Dear. You have my word."

Hermione didn't know how much his word was worth, but it was all she had. She nodded. "Good. And thank you for letting me do this. I know it sounds stupid, but those exams are important to me."

"Which is what makes them important to me," the man added with a smile. Then he offered her his arm: "Shall we go over those last transfigurations again? We want to make sure to impress the examiners with your skills, don't we?"

Hermione nodded with a small smile. "Absolutely."

Ssssssss

Severus looked through his rooms with a wistful gaze. Everything was prepared and ready to be moved to his new place. Just a command from him and his stuff would automatically be ported to his new location, wherever that would be. Where he went, went his stuff. There was nothing anybody could do about it, except he knew the spell and the code word that would trigger the portation. But that was pretty unlikely.

His floo roared to life. It was too early, Severus thought, but when he turned around he saw the Headmaster stepping into his room. Today he wore a silvery robe with a matching hat, while his long beard was braided in a fashionable way. Weren't they on an undercover mission? Whom did the old man plan to impress?

"You're early," Severus commented dryly, looking at the old man with a raised brow. I am all for being in the ministry beforehand, but the exams will start in a few hours and the longer we stay the higher the risk of being found."

Dumbledore nodded. "I'm sure you're right my friend. I am not here to take you to the ministry though as I and the Order have decided that you will not come with us to rescue Miss Granger."

He stared at the man with a dark expression. "Of course I'll be coming. This is my plan. Without me, you wouldn't have even known that she'll be there in the first place. I have a _right_ to be there, she's my _friend_."

The other man shook his head with an understanding smile but Severus didn't buy that farce. He and his friendship meant nothing to that old manipulator. All he cared about was getting Hermione into his manipulative fingers and using her himself. Merlin, he should have never told that old goat. "You don't want me close to her, is it that? Are you afraid that I'm going to mess up that little scheme, you've most likely already cooked up in your head? Who do you want her to bond with? Yourself? Potter?" he spat the last words, feeling disgusted by either possibility. Hermine deserved better than stumbling from one manipulator into the arms of another one.

"This is none of your concern, Severus. The Open Link will be presented with suitable options to choose from, don't worry. As for you: we can not have your position as a spy discovered, my friend. You are far too valuable for our cause. Believe me, it is for the greater good," the old bastard assured him with grey, caring eyes. But he did not care, at least not about him. And Severus would not let himself be manipulated again, not in this. Getting Hermione away from these two puppet masters was too important.

"Right now I give a flying fuck about the greater good, Albus. We need to get her away from him. This is probably our only chance to do so," he shouted, not caring if it would give away his feelings for the girl. There was nobody able to hear but the old goat. And Severus had stopped caring what he thought about him long ago.

Albus sighed. "I feared that this would be your answer, my friend. As it is, you don't leave me much of a choice." Before Severus digested the meaning of his words, a wandless, silent spell hit him squarely into the chest, making his body go limp like a puppet, whose strings have been cut. Without being able to do something, Severus saged to the floor, staring at the Headmaster with wide eyes. That bastard! He wanted to rage, to scream at the man, but it was of no use. His tongue simply would not obey him.

"Don't worry, Severus. The Open Link will be rescued from your master. In a few hours, she will be safe." With that the old man turned around, leaving Severus lying on the floor. He stared at the retreating figure of the Headmaster with a hateful expression. He had _promised_ Hermione he would be there, to rescue her. He had _sworn_ that he would protect her. Would she think he abandoned her? Would Dumbledore even tell him he did? It wasn't beyond that old manipulator. He knew that the man wanted to break their link…

"Be assured that the Open Link will be in good hands," Dumbledore said, before leaving his office through the floo. Severus watched him go, thinking: _"Her name is Hermione, you bastard." _

Ssssssss

"Did you hear that, Georgie?" Fred asked his brother. Both of them were crouched over a bludger sized orb, levitating in one corner of their lab. They had been here for a while, staring at their creation with wide eyes and listening to every word it broadcasted.

"Sure I did, brother mine," George said with a contemplative expression. "Even though I'm still not sure if I've somehow gone barmy."

His brother snorted. "Well, Snape's definitely on our side. That much is certain."

George nodded. "Yeah. But he and Hermione being_ friends_? That's…"

"Hard to believe, yeah. But it's what he said… Hermione is his friend. He wouldn't say that if it wasn't true. I mean, this is Snape we're talking about. I didn't even think that man _had_ friends," Fred said rubbing his forehead with an awkward smile. "I mean seriously? Snape and Hermione? That must be the strangest friendship the world has ever seen. That guy _tormented_ her during class, he was horrible to her. What kind of friend would do that?"

George shrugged. "Dunno. I guess we'll have to ask them one day. But think about it Freddy, in a very strange way it _does_ make sense. Remember those healing potions Hermione gave us? Where should she have brewed them? I doubt she used Myrtle's bathroom for that."

Fred hummed in agreeance. "True. You'd need a full equipped potions lab for that and I doubt she has her own, secret lab at the castle. Could Snape also be the one who taught her the disillusionment charm? Or do you think she taught herself?"

"Either could be possible," his twin agreed with a crooked smile. But I think we can say one thing for sure: "Our Hermione has a lot of secrets, more than we thought possible."

They nodded in unison. "What now? What shall we do with what we just learned?" George asked, looking at his brother.

Fred grinned: "First we activate Snape's teleport coin."

"And then? Do you wanna go help him?" George asked, earning himself another grin.

"We're magical twins, Georgie. You already know the answer to that question."


	50. Chapter 50

A.N.: Hello my dear readers! Thank you so much for your encouraging comments! They mean the world to me. J I am happy that so many are still with me and are impatiently waiting for the reunion of our trio. Believe me, I'm counting the chapters, too. ;-) We'll get there and Voldi will get what he deserves, I promise. What are you looking most forward to? Some twin/Hermione fluff? Smut? Or finally having Severus and Hermione reunited? Or do you all want to see Voldi und Dumbly punished? Let me know, I'm curious.

Chapter 50: The exam

To say that Hermione was nervous would have been the understatement of the year. It wasn't just that she would take her OWLs today, which she had dreamed about since she set a foot into Hogwarts. There would also be a rescuing mission for her, but Hermione didn't know when or how. And that were too many unknown factors for her already strained nerves. She had barely slept during the last days, her numerous encounters with the snake haunting her as soon as she closed her eyes. Apart from that, she had never been a good sleeper before her exams, as spells and history facts randomly popped into her head when she tried to fall asleep, which had her unintendedly revising until deep into the night. It wasn't any different this time.

"All will be well," an unknown voice interrupted her train of thoughts. When Hermione turned around, there was a foreigner in the doorframe to the dining room, but going by his predatory smile and the fact that she was at Voldemort's house there was only one person this could be. Still, she couldn't keep but stare at him, as there was nothing left of his snake-like features and instead there was a good looking, brown-haired wizard in front of her, that didn't even remotely remind her of his old self. It was terrifying.

"That's an impressive glamour," she said in astonishment. "You look like…"

"I am related to you, yes. That is the point," he agreed, looking at her with amused, _brown_ eyes. Looking at him now felt wrong, so wrong. The man in front of her looked kind, _harmless_, but she knew for a fact that he was anything but. Those wizards at the ministry wouldn't even know in how much danger they were. They would be defenceless.

"Won't they know you by your wand?" Hermione asked, looking at him sceptically. "All wands are registered, aren't they? I read we'll have to show them when entering the Ministry."

The man nodded. "Then it is a good thing I organized two spare wands for us to use. They're registered on the names Rosalind and Marcus Greenwood, which is our names for the next few days."

Hermione stared at him in disbelief. "You want me to do my OWLs with a foreign wand?" she shrieked, looking at him with wide eyes. "That's _insane_! I don't even know if the wand will work for me!" She stared at him with fire in her eyes and for a moment she saw it reflected in his own ones.

"You should really start trusting me, my Dear. I _know_ it is hard for you, but I did plan this through – _carefully_. Those wands are just for registration. You'll hand your own wand over to me and I'll hide it for you until we passed the registration desk. I know from a reliable source, that the wands will not be checked again, afterwards." His voice was smooth when he explained these things to her, but Hermione still got the impression that he was angered by her rash behaviour. No wonder, she had basically implied him being stupid and she knew how she would have reacted to such an allegation. Still, it's not like she would trust him to have her best interest in mind.

Hermione looked at him with a regretful look in her eyes, she would need to keep from angering him since his mood has been horrible lately. "I am sorry, Marvolo," she apologized, using his given name in the hope to soothe his anger, he always liked it when she spoke his name. "This was ungrateful and uncalled for. You've put a lot of thought into this, even though you are in no obligation to do this for me. You've taught me for weeks to prepare me for those exams and I think I never properly thanked you. That wasn't right, because I am grateful, so very very grateful. Please forgive me." It was true, she was grateful to him. Even though he had kept her as a prisoner, he had always treated her well and the magic he had taught her was… _incredible_. It gave her a taste of what was possible with enough talent and ambition.

He nodded, a strange, unnatural glow in his eyes. "You are forgiven," he said generously, before pulling out his wand. "Now let's do something about your appearance. We don't want your identity discovered after all, do we?"

Hermione _did_ want her identity discovered in the hope that this would help her being rescued. But she couldn't very well tell him that. And so she nodded. He raised his wand a moment later and for a moment she considered closing her eyes, but she had to realize that closing her eyes while Voldemort pointed a wand at her was nothing she could do. She didn't trust enough for that. His glamour charm hit her a moment later and for a moment a cold feeling washed over her body, leaving it tingling for a moment after. Then she suddenly felt her features shift, which felt _weird_ but luckily didn't hurt, but she still closed her eyes for a moment. When she finally opened them she found him staring at her with a pleased little smile.

Hermione couldn't help her curiosity and quickly transfigured a mirror for herself. When she looked at herself a moment later, her eyes widened in surprise. What she saw wasn't what she had expected at all. Her hair was still brown, but it was now straight and looked almost boring. Her eye colour had changed to a light grey while the shape of her eyes was more rounded, which made them look slightly bigger than they used to. The strange thing was that this new appearance would surely be found pretty by most people she met, but Hermione found that she missed her old looks. The person she was now looked _boring _and almost too perfect and until now she hadn't even been aware that such a thing was possible. Last year and also at the beginning of this school year she had secretly wished to be more pretty, to be different or more attractive. But suddenly she realized that she really liked her bushy-haired, wild appearance and that realization somehow made her smile.

"I take it you approve?" Voldemort asked in his foreign voice.

Hermione smiled. "I do. Thank you."

"Excellent. This is your wand, _Rosalind_," he said stepping close and offering her the masterful carved piece of wood. It looked different from all wands she had ever seen and felt heavier in her hand, then she had expected.

"Thank you, Marcus," she replied thoughtfully, before storing the wand in her sleeve and offering the man her own wand. Giving it to him hurt, especially after she had to spend so many days without it in the past. But considering the circumstances, she had no other choice than putting it into his outstretched hand. "Shall we go then?" she asked, sending him a nervous smile.

Voldemort nodded and offered her his arm. She carefully placed her hand into the crook of his arm. He still felt cold like before. At least that part hadn't changed, reminding her of his old, inhuman self.

"We shall," he replied with a pleased smile. "Come on, my Dear."

Ssssssss

"Alright, twin o' mine. Any ideas on how to get into Snape's office now that we're here? We tried breaking in before, remember?" George asked, studying the sturdy wooden door with concentration.

His brother shrugged. "How about our magical lockpicks?" he suggested, pulling a little golden instrument out of his pocket. "I know we didn't plan using those until it's an emergency, but this classifies as one, don't you think?"

George nodded and so two disillusioned redheads crouched in front of Professor Snape's door, trying their whole arsenal of magical mischief-making inventions. In the end, the door was blackened at the hinges and smoke was pouring out of the keyhole. But the door was open. Fred grinned.

"See? I knew we could do it," he said, storing their products in his robes.

George sighed. "Yeah. Now Snape will either kill us or kiss us. Dunno what's more terrifying."

They opened the door and there was their potions professor, lying on the floor with his face staring unmovingly at the door. Still, George could have sworn that there was a flicker behind his eyes, that made his skin crawl with nervousness. _He'll probably kill us for this. _

"Hello Professor," Fred greeted the man with an unconcerned grin, before stepping right in front of him. "We thought you could use a bit of help. Sorry about the door," he said, shrugging with a smug look on his face. Then he pulled out his wand and cast a _Finite incantatem_ on the man. To George's big surprise it worked. First, Snape's face morphed back to the expressionless, cold mask it usually was and a moment later the man leapt to his feet, storming towards the fireplace with a thunderous expression.

"We'll talk about this, gentlemen. Detention, tomorrow evening at my office," he bellowed, before pulling out his wand and casting a glamour on himself. His hair grew short and grey and in his face deep wrinkles and a long beard appeared, that made him look at least 50 years older. George stared at him in fascination.

"Now _out _with you," Snape said, storing his wand back in his sleeve before grabbing a hand of floo powder from the mantle. George looked at him with an awkward smile.

"Good luck, Sir," he said, pulling Fred towards the door. "Bring her back to us."

Snape mumbled something unintelligible as an answer and a moment later a wave of magic hit them and threw them out of the room before the door behind them banged close.

Fred and George looked at each other with a nervous grin. "Let's hope this was the right choice brother," George said and started to walk towards the staircase.

"We'll know tomorrow. Whatever happens, I'm sure it's in the newspaper. Because believe me, Georgie, this will give a big BANG! Voldisnort won't let Hermione go without a fight."

"And we just made sure there's one more wand against him."

Ssssssss

The Open Link was almost in reach for him now. She had come early after registering her wand and sat down in the exam room with a collected expression on her young face. It was definitely her, Albus remembered her from his lessons and now that she had finally gotten her wand back from Tom, she would not allow being parted from it again. Tom was nowhere to be seen, but Albus was sure that his enemy wasn't far away. He couldn't beat him today, there were still too many obstacles in the way. The Boy who lived had informed him of at least one other Horcrux in Voldemort's possession, which meant that killing Tom would be impossible, for now. But maybe Albus could at least find a way to reveal his return to the wizarding world, as it was about time that it was shaken awake from its slumber. The war was in full swing and by conquering the Open Link Albus was sure to turn the tables to their advantage.

Luckily his position as Hogwarts Headmaster gave him the right to attend all Ministry lead exams, not that he had ever done so, but these were special circumstances. No one had the right to throw him out of the room, no matter how much Cornelius wished to do so. Of course, the man also wanted to sink his claws into that unsuspecting girl.

If Miss Granger was surprised by his attendance in the exam room, she didn't show it. Instead, she seemed totally focussed on the written History of Magic exam, twirling her brown, bushy hair around one finger, while she eagerly wrote her answers. Albus would have to wait until the exam was over, before approaching the girl. Hopefully, Tom hadn't already manipulated her that far, that she would try refusing to come with him. But in this case, he'd assign Fawkes help and make her see reason later.

Ssssssss

"Are you sure this is the right room?" Hermione asked, looking at the Ministry employee in confusion. "There's only one table in here. Where is everybody else?"

"That's none of your business, Miss. You'll be writing your exam here, apart from everybody else," the young, dark-blonde man replied with a watchful expression in his gaze. Did he know who he was? Probably. Why else would she be kept away from the other OWL aspirants? Would Severus even be able to find her here? What would he do, when there was no sign of her in the exam room? Hermione sighed.

Severus had been a spy for years and he was a true Slytherin. He would consider that Voldemort had put a plan in action to ensure that Hermione remained undiscovered. When there was somebody able to find her it was him, Hermione told herself while sitting down in the small, windowless room. She was pretty sure that it was usually used for interrogations, which probably meant extra security measures. She should have known that Voldemort would be extra careful when she was outside of his house. Now she would have to trust Severus to still find a way to get her away from him but for a matter of fact, there was nobody Hermione trusted more than him right now.

Ssssssss

"Professor," the girl said when he was approaching her directly after the test sheets had been collected. He had to act quickly now, otherwise, Tom would snatch her away again.

"Miss Granger," he greeted back politely, the reassuring twinkle in his eyes. He had to make sure she trusted him, even though she had in the past proved to be hesitant in doing so. Luckily he had years of experience in dealing with teenagers. "I've come to offer you my assistance for returning to Hogwarts if this is what you wish," he said, offering her his arm. "Would you like to come back to the castle?"

The girl nodded, her brown eyes wide. "I'd love to, Sir. But … _he's here_. He won't let me go," she whispered, looking around with wide panicked eyes. Albus nodded understandingly. "Don't worry about Tom, Miss Granger. Now that you have finally revealed yourself to me, he will not capture you again," he promised with a grandfatherly smile on his lips. And really, the girl instantly seemed less nervous. She put on a brave smile, before accepting his offered arm with a determined nod.

Albus smiled. This was easier than he thought.

They made it out of the room without being interrupted or held back, but they had barely reached the corridor, as the girl suddenly stiffened next to him. Her eyes fell on a brown-haired man right in front of them, who was watching them with calculating, lurking eyes. Albus had only a split second to register that the wand was already in his hand, a wand that he would have known anywhere.

"Tom," he said, lazily casting a counter to Voldemort's fire attack, while the room around them erupted into chaos. There were screams and shouts everywhere, but Albus just focussed on the duel and the Open Link, that was hiding behind him in the hope for protection. Good, that meant she already trusted him to protect her. That was the first step for her leaning on him for protection and guidance. "You should not have come today," he said, casting the strongest deglamour spell he knew of. And really, the spell went through any revealed Lord Voldemort in all his terrifying glory. Another wave of screams echoed through the room. It was only a matter of seconds until they were surrounded by Aurors, causing Tom to acknowledge his defeat and apparate away before he could get caught. Once again Albus had outsmarted him. Not only was his return finally no longer deniable, but the Open Link was finally back where she belonged, in his influence.

Ssssssss

A.N.: Yes, there are two Hermiones in this chapter, but only one is the real one... Voldi is a sneaky bastard.


	51. Chapter 51

A.N.: Hello my lovely readers! Thank you again for all your lovely and motivating comments. The help me find the energy to sit down and write after a full day of work. I hope you're all doing well, where ever you are. Are you still feeling isolated? If so, I hope this story helps you forget and feel better for a little while. Stay strong. We can do this!

Chapter 51: Like a true Slytherin

Hermione had barely finished writing her second exam of the day when she heard lots of noise and screams coming from somewhere outside of the room. There was screaming and she could have sworn to hear the bangs and roars of spellfire somewhere in the distance. She could help but turn towards the door with a nervous feeling in her stomach. What was happening outside? Was that Severus? Or Voldemort? Did he use the chance to take over the ministry, while she sat her OWLs?

"Are you finished, Miss?" the white-haired man in front of her asked in an almost bored tone. Wasn't he worried about the noises coming from outside? Hermione looked at him in confusion and a growing sense of concern.

"Not yet, Sir. I was just worried about what's going on outside…" she said worryingly.

"If you're not finished, then keep on writing. You have one more hour until I am collecting your exams, so I suggest you don't let yourself get distracted," he said without a hint of worry in his voice. "The master will come and get you when he's finished outside."

_The master?_ Merlin, this Ministry official was a Death Eater, too. How many of them were there? And what did he mean, _when the master was finished?_ Finished with what?

She looked around the room with an analysing gaze. Should she try getting away now, that everyone else at the Ministry seemed occupied? How good were her chances to take out that unknown Death Eater in a duel?

"Don't even think about it, little girl," he replied as if he had read her thoughts. They probably weren't hard to guess. "The master has sealed this door himself. Only he can get us out. So keep on writing if you please."

Hermione cursed inwardly. How was Severus to even find her in this chaos? And how should he ever get her out of here? And how could she get away with cursing the asshole for calling her a 'little girl'?

Ssssssss

Severus arrived too late to be able to enter the exam room without being noticed, which left him with no other choice than waiting outside and watching everything around him.

There were at least five other Death Eaters nearby, watching the room and especially the brown-haired guy, that was waiting somewhere in the middle of the room. It wasn't hard to guess his identity for somebody like Severus. Dumbledore interestingly was nowhere to be seen. Where was the old goat? What had he planned?

Somewhere in the background, Severus spotted a few other order members but they, too, seemed to be watching the whole scene cautiously. Did Dumbledore leave them any orders?

Finally, the exams were over and a crowd of students walked outside. At first, Hermione was nowhere to be seen, but finally, Severus spotted her, nervously walking on the Headmaster's arm. That was until his master stepped forward and started attacking them vigorously. The Dark Lord's powers were impressive and when that duel showed something then, it was that he and Dumbledore played in a league of their own. No matter how little he liked it, if they wanted to take his master down one day, they would need Dumbledore's help. Because there was no one else who equalled him in raw magical power. What had those two wizards done to have it in such abundance? He could guess it for the Dark Lord, of course, as he had studied dark magic and dark rituals. But Dumbledore? One wasn't born with such an amount of power. It had to be captured or earned. What was the man hiding?

Still, Dumbledore was an idiot, Severus thought while staring down at the chaos he and the Dark Lord had left behind. Duelling the Dark Lord in the middle of the Ministry was a brash move and Severus might have been able to forgive him if he hadn't endangered Hermione by doing so. Why didn't he simply apparate away with his blasted phoenix? As soon as the deglamour hit his master, Severus knew why. Dumbledore had used the chance to expose the Dark Lord, which was a remarkable feat in a full duel. It left his master with no other option than porting away when the Aurors started joining the fight. Severus should have felt relieved, as Dumbledore's plan had obviously worked, but somehow the feeling remained, that something wasn't right here. Would the Dark Lord have Hermione given up that lightly? There had been protections on the girl when she had been to _Malfoy Manor_ of all places and still, the old goat was able to touch her without problems. Bellatrix had been cursed terribly with a simple touch and yet here was the headmaster was holding the girl on his arm and nothing had happened. Why hadn't she been more protected? The man was obsessed with her, after all, she should have been unapproachable. Something was wrong here, he just didn't know what. When he saw Dumbledore taking Hermione away he swore that he would find out - soon.

Ssssssss

Hermione had just finished her seconds and last written exam of the day and handed it over to the grey-haired Death Eater when she saw him pull up his sleeve and touch his Dark Mark with his wand. Hermione had never seen anybody do it, she had never once seen the Dark Mark, to begin with as not even Severus had ever shown it to her. But as soon as the wand tip touched the blackened skin, it was like the thing was suddenly awake and reacting to the touch. Hermione shuddered as she thought about the possible implications of that.

It didn't take long until the door was opened and a dark blonde wizard stepped inside, that looked almost her age. Still, Hermione would always recognize _that_ look in his eyes as there was only one person who looked at her like that.

"I see you were able to finish your first two exams," he said with a little smile on his now red lips.

Hermione nodded with a sigh. "What happened outside. I heard screams and…"

He shook his head with a smile. "Don't worry, my Dear. You'll learn everything you want to know during dinner. You must be starving."

With that, he offered her his hand to ring her back to her prison. Hermione took it with a sigh. As long as Severus didn't come for her, there wasn't anything she could do. But her friend would come for her, he had given her his word.

It was almost two hours later when Hermione sat down at the dinner table in Voldemort's manor. As soon as they had been back to the house he had lifted the glamour he had placed on her and Hermione used the next hour to freshen up and rest her tired eyes for some minutes while lying on her bed. But she needed to know what happened and Voldemort had promised her answers.

He, too, was back to his old looks watching her with those unsettling, red eyes. But Hermione preferred them to the other, more harmless-looking versions she had seen today, as they reminded her that this man had lost his humanity long ago. She did not wish to see the perfect mirage that hid the vile man beneath it.

"You have questions," he said, studying her with a knowing smile, while his food remained untouched on his plate.

"What happened today at the ministry?" she asked immediately, her own plate still empty as her stomach was in knots from worrying about Severus. Had he been found out? Killed? She occluded those thoughts quickly, no need to get sloppy. "I could tell there was a fight and people seemed incredibly nervous as we left."

"I imagine they were. Your Headmaster chose to reveal my presence to the wizarding world, as we were engaged in a little quarrel about his new-found protégé." He looked at her with a smug grin. "Fortunately the man is a Gryffindor which makes him easy to play. I'm sure Bella will have her fun with him in the castle, while he tried to gain her trust and sympathy."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes, as the puzzle pieces slowly fell in place. And she didn't like the picture they were forming. Horror was warring with a cold numbness that threatened to engulf her.

"Dumbledore thinks she's me, doesn't he?" she asked, suddenly feeling nauseous.

Voldemort nodded while looking at her with a smug expression that she desperately wanted to smack off. "He does."

"Why? How?" Hermione continued shaking her head in confusion.

He chuckled. "As it comes your wand was registered with the Ministry this morning and a girl, very much looking like you entered the exam room some minutes later. Polyjuice is a wonderful invention, especially when it comes to placing my servants right under Dumbledore's nose."

"You planned this right from the beginning, didn't you?" Hermione asked, finally understanding why the man had agreed to let her go to the ministry in the first place. This was never just about her being able to take her exams, she realized, and even though she had never really trusted or liked that man sitting with her at the table, she still felt somehow… disappointed by the realization that he had used her wish to make her owls for his own benefit.

"It won't work," she finally said stubbornly. "Somebody will notice it's not me. My friends have known me for _years..._"

Voldemort nodded. "Probably. But she only needs to stay undetected for a few days, right? There's only four more days of OWL exams ahead of us before Bella can do what I sent her into the castle for. Four days where everybody in the castle is busy with exams too and not think twice about Hermione Granger retreating behind her books. Aren't I right, my Dear?" At those words, his smile turned almost gleeful.

Hermione shuddered. He _was_ right. In the past years, Hermione could have been easily confused with a madwoman during exam times, not to forget that everybody would know that she had been Voldemort's prisoner for weeks. Nobody would think twice about her acting strangely after that experience.

She cursed inwardly. Four days. How long would it take Severus to realize the Hermione at the castle was a fraud? Would it be soon enough to still get her away from her jailer? Or soon enough to prevent whatever Voldemort had ordered Bellatrix Lestrange to do? She could only hope so because she had the feeling that there would be blood flowing if the mad witch got the chance to do, what she was sent into the castle for.  
Hermione let her mind blank out as she stared at the smug bastard in front of her. Something in her expression must have clued him in that she was not happy with him at the moment. She needed to contact Severus, she needed him to know it wasn't her and to warn her friends. That mad bitch could do so much damage as her. She needed to contact Severus and she knew what would bring him back in contact with her but for now, she would make the feared Dark Lord know she was not to be messed with. Screw caution, it was time for some Gryffindor brashness mixed with Slytherin cunning.

"I see," she said tonelessly and watched as his smug look disappeared.

"I merely used the situation to my advantage, my dear," Voldemort said carefully.

"Oh, I see that," Hermione replied. "I had a long day. I think I will turn in early tonight." She said while looking him in the eye, she made sure he could barely glimpse her anger. Something she had in spades.

"Are you sure, my Dear? You didn't even touch your dessert, yet," he tried, pointing at the chocolate mousse she usually ate in the evenings.

"Pretty sure. As it comes I have lost my appetite," Hermione replied and rose from the table. "If you'll excuse me. Tomorrow will be a long day." She didn't wait for his answer, as she couldn't look at him any longer without trying to hex him. Instead, she rushed to her room and threw herself on the bed, before she started screaming into her pillow. Merlin, she hated that man with a passion. One day she would get her revenge, she swore to herself as her tears started to soak the pillow. One day she'd make that bastard pay.

Ssssssss

The Open Link was finally back at Hogwarts, where she belonged. For now, he had convinced her to move into one of Hogwarts private rooms, away from the dorm for the students. Tom had without question traumatized the girl which gave him enough leeway to justify such a decision, should it be second-guessed by someone. But hopefully, that would not happen. He'd have to keep an eye on Severus, as the man would want to see his _friend_ sooner or later. That teacher was a true Slytherin which most likely meant that he merely used the girl for his own profit instead of having really befriended her. Severus was not known for maintaining friendships or being even interested in them. There was Lily Potter of course, but that had been in the man's childhood and he still clung to that woman like it meant a difference after so many years of her being dead. It was useless to mourn the dead or regret one's decisions concerning their past, Albus had learned that lesson as a young adult.

It might take a while until the girl would trust him. Therefore he'd have to try keeping her separate and distracted as long as possible. Luckily the girl was known to strive for knowledge and that was something he could offer her in abundance. The less contact she had with Severus and her Gryffindor friends, the better for now.

Ssssssss

Fred and George had not heard of Snape or Hermione for the rest of the day. They had waited in the common room until long after midnight, but their hope that their friend would return that night was not fulfilled. Had Snape been too late to get her from the Ministry? Or had his appearance at the Ministry disrupted Dumbledore's plans and therefore let the whole rescue mission fail? They didn't know but the possibilities of what could have gone wrong haunted them until deep into the night.

They had barely reached the breakfast table the next morning when they suddenly saw her entering the Great Hall. She looked exactly like they remembered her with her bushy brown hair framing her face like a halo.

Hermione was back, Snape had really done it, he had brought her back to them. Maybe they should really stop complaining about the old dungeon bat.

"Hermione!" the chorussed, leaping from their seats and dashing towards their witch. She _was_ their witch, they decided, especially after reading Sirius' book. They just needed to find some undisturbed and relaxed moments to explain everything to her and hope that her feelings towards them had changed as little as their own.

"Hello boys," she said her eyes dashing hastily back and forth between the two of them. For a moment she seemed hesitant, but finally, she smiled which was enough for them to pull her into a four-armed hug.

"Gods, you're back," George murmured into her hair inhaling her scent. Somehow it was different now, he realized, filing that fact away for later. "I can't believe he got you back, Hermione. Are you alright?"

She pulled back and looked at him with searching eyes. He plastered a happy, reassuring smile on his face. "' 's alright if you don't want to talk about it," he said before Harry and Ron suddenly appeared at their side to pull Hermione into a hug themselves. Fred and George couldn't help but watch their girl while she listened to the boy's apologies and exclaims of relief over her safe return. She patiently listened to them but still, George had the unmistakable feeling that Hermione had changed. Her eyes seemed somehow colder and more distant and seemed to constantly analyse her room around her. What had she experienced during the last weeks that made her this watchful?

"Sorry guys, but if you don't mind I'd like to take a look at those books before the exam today. Didn't have much time to go over them, lately…" she said, stepping back from the four friends.

"You're still doing the exams today?" Ron asked her with wide eyes. "Are you mad?"

Hermione looked at him for a long moment, something flashing behind her eyes at his words. And somehow her look made George's hairs in his neck stand up in alarm. But then the look was gone and Hermione's caramel brown eyes stared at their brother in amusement.

"Of course I'm doing those exams, you know how hard I've worked towards them."

Ron nodded with a sigh. "Course I know that, Mione. It's just that Dumbledore would surely let them repeat at a later point after what you've been through."

The others nodded eagerly. But Hermione brushed Ron's comment off with an amused smile.

"Possibly," she said before turning away from them. "But I assure you I'm alright. So if you'll excuse me for now."

She rushed to the other end of the Gryffindor table, sitting down with a bit of distance from the other students before opening one of her books and burying herself behind it. Fred and George watched her go with a confused expression.

"Why do I get the impression she's avoiding us?" Fred asked, studying their girl with a worried expression.

Harry, next to him, shrugged. "She's probably been through a lot. Or she's simply mad at us for bringing her into that situation in the first place. I couldn't even blame her for it." He said trying to make sense of her behaviour as well.

Ron hummed in agreeance. George sighed. Their little brother was probably right. Still, he and Fred wouldn't give up until they could talk to her properly. If there was something wrong with her, she needed to talk about it. Otherwise, those memories would slowly destroy her and Fred and George would not let that happen.

Ssssssss

Severus was not able to visit Hermione that evening. The Headmaster kept her away from everybody and as Severus tried to avoid unwanted attention as much as possible, he had to wait until the next day to even take a look at her. During breakfast, she entered the Great Hall surprisingly late for her, compared to her habits before her capture by the Dark Lord, but the dark circles under her eyes probably spoke of some sleepless nights during the past days. He watched her carefully, as she strode through the Great Hall, her eyes resting on the Slytherin table for a long moment before she walked towards the Gryffindor table with a hesitant smile on her lips. It took a moment before she was recognized by her housemates, but then the table erupted in agitated shouts and cheers. Only moments later Potter and three redheads were surrounding her and took turns in pulling her into their arms. Severus had to suppress a flicker of jealousy at that display of affection. But then he noticed Hermione's distanced behaviour towards her friends. That wasn't like her at all. Sure, she had every reason to be mad at those idiots, but Hermione loved her friends and especially those twins. Why was she so desperate to get away from them? And why was she suddenly so willingly submitting herself to Dumbledore's machinations? Hadn't those past weeks taught her anything?

Severus watched her sitting down away from all the other Gryffindors, avoiding the agitated chatter around her while hiding behind her books. Once her eyes darted towards him but instead the warm or questioning look he had expected in them, there was only cold calculation. He shivered. Hermione Granger had never looked at him like that and Severus was pretty sure she never would. Through their link, she could still feel her affection and friendship towards him, mixed with fear and uneasiness. That girl on the Gryffindor table emanated none of those feelings, not even remotely. This could only mean two things, Severus realized. Either Hermione had gotten an even better actor during the last weeks, or the girl sitting there was, in fact, someone entirely different. The question was just: who?


	52. Chapter 52

A.N.: Here's another chapter for you, me lovely readers. Please don't get impatient with Hermione, she will get out, but we still don't have all the puzzle pieces we need to finish Voldemort off. This chapter has a bit more of the twins in it, in case you missed them. I sure as hell did. ;-)

Chapter 52: Foul play

Hermione had barely slept that night. Instead, she desperately clung to the bond she had with Severus while whispering words of warning and pleas for help through it. She wasn't sure if it was working but she at least needed to try telling him what happened and right now there was no other way for her to do so.  
"Does young mistress need help with getting dressed?" Hurry asked her when she padded out of the bathroom after a long, cold shower. She had hoped that it would help her wake up and clear her head, but somehow Hermione found that she simply felt numb inside and out.  
"No, thank you Hurry," she replied without any emotion in her voice. "But I do have a question for you. Did you give your master some of my hair?"  
The elf looked at her with wide, guilty eyes. She didn't even have to hear his answer to know that he had done so. Dammit. She had trusted him, liked him even in a small way.  
"Hurry is so sorry, Mistress. But the Master had tasked Hurry to do so," the little servant said, his voice trembling. "Does Mistress wish for Hurry to punish himself?"

Hermione shook her head with a sigh. "What is that supposed to change?" she asked him, eyes flashing. She didn't want to shout at him, but right now she wasn't sure how to hold all those feelings in. She was convinced she would have burst if Severus hadn't taught her how to protect her mind from all those feelings. Still, she was only partly able to lock them away right now.  
"It's not like you had a choice, right? It's not like you wanted to betray my trust, right?" she asked, her voice raw with hurt feelings.  
Hurry looked at her with wide, sad eyes. "Hurry never intended to hurt young mistress, Hurry swears!" the house-elf squeaked. "Hurry thought young mistress does not need that hair, as she had shed it into her bed and her clothes. Hurry is cleaning those clothes and he would have thrown the hair away…" he tried to hastily explain to her, oblivious to what he had done.  
Hermione sighed tiredly, she had forgotten about the hair she shed naturally.  
"What else did you take from me to bring it to your master?" she asked, her voice suddenly bare of all emotion. The little elf wrung its tiny hands.  
"Master once asked for one of Mistress' used nightshirts," he said, staring at her full of fear. "And one of her undershirts, but nothing else, Hurry swears."

She was going to be sick. Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wanted to scream or run away preferably, but there was no way out for her, probably not ever. God, how was she even supposed to look at any of them right now?  
"That's everything, Hurry," she said coldly dismissing the house-elf without looking at him again. God, she could feel herself slowly breaking in that hell-hole. How much longer could she stand being here, without losing the last fibre of sanity?  
When she walked to the breakfast table half an hour later, she felt like shit. She didn't know how she was even supposed to stay awake during today's written exams, but somehow she found that she didn't even care about them right now. Her wish to get her OWLs had brought them into this situation in the first place. She should have seen that Voldemort didn't just allow her to go to the ministry out of kindheartedness or whatever her pubescent mind had cooked up back then. That man always had a plan B or C, he truly was the heir of Slytherin.  
How was she supposed to outmanoeuvre such a man, to beat him in a duel one day, or at least keep the world safe from him? She felt like a naive child compared to him, probably because that was exactly what she was given their ages. She could not match him in magical power or knowledge and being the Slytherin that he is he was used to playing people like chess pieces, without being hindered by feelings or affection. She had gambled and lost.

Voldemort was already sitting at the table, reading the newspaper with a pleased smile on his lips. As soon as she entered the room though, he put it aside to stare at her with red, inquiring eyes. "You look tired," he said with his hands folded in front of his chin. Hermione stared at him, her face bare of all emotion, before sitting down at her place at the table and starting to eat without saying a word.  
"You're upset," he said after a while, just as Hermione heard the snake approaching from behind. It had only been a matter of time until that damned reptile returned, as it seemed glued to her lap during mealtimes lately. Usually, Hermione forced herself to pet the snake, but today everything in her rebelled to do so. And so she ignored Voldemort's pet while staring at the man with a dark expression.  
"Good deduction," she replied humorlessly while serving herself a light breakfast and a big pot of coffee. "I am upset."  
"Is it because you still care for those people in the castle? Are you afraid your redheaded poster-boys will get hurt?" he asked, jealousy evident in his voice even if he did attempt to mask it. She stared at him coldly.  
"I am upset because you betrayed my trust. I trusted you when I gave you my wand and you misused this trust for some machination. You let me think that you supported my dreams while you were probably laughing about my naivety behind my back." Her voice had gotten louder and louder with each word until she was almost shouting at him, her eyes flashing with anger she knew she should be repressing lest she make a mistake.

"You kept me in the dark like one of your minions, but no. Even they seemed to know what you were up to. So tell me, what happened to the idea of me supposedly becoming your queen? Was that all a lie as well? No Queen should be treated that way by her King!"  
By now she panted in her chair as the anger drained from her in waves as she realised what she had said. She had called herself his Queen and he her King. There was no way he would ever forget that.  
Voldemort did not seem upset because of her outbreak though, as his eyes studied her with fascination. But that only angered her further, he had no right to look at her like that. "If you ask yourself next time, why I am still not trusting you, then this is your answer!" She said.

The snake in her lap shifted as if it wanted to remind Hermione that it was still there. Not that Hermione could forget its presence even for a second. With a huff, she looked down at the clingy reptile and said: "I'm sorry Nagini. I'm really angry right now and I'd rather not touch you. I know this is not your fault, but I don't want to hurt you by accident. Right now I'm really not trusting myself."  
The snake looked at her, blinked lazily before it shifted and glided from her lap. Hermione had to suppress a sigh of relief. Somehow the animal had understood her words, proving what Hermione had already guessed. That snake was much more intelligent than a regular one. It had understood her, even though Hermione for sure wasn't a Parselmouth. How?

"I understand your feelings of betrayal," Voldemort finally said, his eyes focussing her with an intensive gaze. "And I promise to make it up to you. I meant it when I said that you're going to be my Queen. But for that to happen sacrifices need to be made. Do you understand, my dear?"  
Hermione shuddered internally. What sacrifices was he referring to? Did he intend to kill somebody? She hoped not. "I understand perfectly," she said looking at him with a cold expression. "We all need to make our sacrifices, after all. Even you."

Sssssssss

His lioness' words kept echoing through his mind as he roamed the halls of the Ministry. After yesterday's little run-in with Dumbledore security at the Ministry had been increased, but that only slightly complicated matters for him. He had a good wandmaker at hand and a nearly endless repertoire of transfigurative personalities, he could slip into. Combined with some useful artefacts from his collection those morons didn't stand a chance to even find a hair of him, let alone himself.  
Sending Bellatrix to Hogwarts had been necessary, there had been no way around it. Not only because one of his Horcruxes was still there, but there also were a lot of human obstacles in the castle he had to get rid of sooner or later. And Bellatrix was exactly the right person for that job.  
Still, it was possible that by sending her he had made a grave mistake. He had forgotten how emotional his lioness could get when it came to other humans. Sooner or later she would leave that weakness behind, but for now, he would have to consider it when planning his next moves. Maybe he could find a way to use those feelings to his advantage… he was a very imaginative man, after all.

Ssssssss

Their time at Hogwarts was coming to an end, Fred realized while mulling over his transfiguration exam one last time. The questions had been easy, even though he and George had spent surprisingly little time with studying, even for their proportions. Lately, many other projects had been on their mind, projects that could really shape their future and happiness. Who cared about their NEWTs? Once that blasted war was over they would either be dead or open a joke shop on their own. And so they invested every spare minute to make sure they made it out alive at the other end of this war and Hermione with them.

Hermione… finally, they had gotten her out, but somehow it didn't really feel like they had gotten her back. Most of the time she avoided them, or anyone for that matter and it wasn't due to the upcoming exams like she tried to convince them of. Hermione could have written her OWLs last year and she would have gotten all of them without any problems. She was probably the best-prepared student at the school but what was more important: Hermione had always put her friends first, no matter what. Not this Hermione though.  
Fred wasn't sure what that snake-faced bastard had done to her, but the spark that had shined in her eyes had been substituted by something much more cold and calculating. What must have happened to her to change her like that in a matter of weeks? It was, like the girl he had known for years had been replaced by an animated dummy with no feelings whatsoever. To him, it was, like they had lost Hermione again today, but this time there was no saying if they would ever get the girl they knew and loved back.  
That was a terrifying thought, much more terrifying than the old dungeon bat now in front of them could ever be. It was like the man had lost some of his acidness after he and Georgie had found him helpless on the floor of his office. He looked at the grumpy potions master with an inclined head. Usually, the man would have bellowed his instructions for their detention by now, which led to the conclusion that this wasn't a detention at all. Fred had lots of experience with being in detention after 7 years as a Hogwarts student, one-third of his detentions being with Snape himself. But if it wasn't detention they were here for, then Snape probably wanted to talk to them about yesterday. Maybe they could ask him what he thought about Hermione's sudden character change. The man had admitted being her friend too, after all.

Ssssssss

Usually, exam time was one of Severus' favourite times of the year. There were fewer morons for him to teach, which usually spared his poor nerves, as he barely needed to watch them tremble, sweat and fail. Most of the time he found their faces during exams even pretty amusing.

But not today. Today Severus was on a mission and the mission was to find out what was wrong with that Hermione Granger. Unfortunately, the Headmaster had made it his goal to keep the girl away from him for as long as possible, which had him monitoring the NEWT students exams instead of the OWL classes, which he was usually tasked to watch. That only left him with watching her during mealtimes, where she kept hiding behind her books and avoiding her friends. He could see them getting more and more desperate to talk to her and most of the time at least one of them joined her at the end of the Gryffindor table in the hope to talk to the girl.  
Right now it was Potter and by the sour look on his face, his attempt to apologize to the girl did not go well. Severus would have been amused if it had been really her, but the longer he watched the witch the more he was convinced that this was not Hermione Granger. That only left the conclusion, that it was a polyjuiced Death Eater instead, which put the Boy-Who-Lived and his Gryffindor-friends in a dangerous situation. But how to protect or at least warn the boy without the Dark Lord knowing of his betrayal through that blasted bond?

Severus brooded over that question the whole day. When the Weasley twins finally knocked at his door, it was probably the first time in his life that he was glad to see them. Once in their life their recklessness and affinity to break rules could be exactly what he needed.  
"Enter," he said evenly after opening his office door.  
Fred and George Weasley looked worn and tired, which could only partly be due to the exam they had written today. It was obvious that something lasted heavily on their minds and for Severus, it wasn't hard to guess what or better who it was.  
He offered them a seat in front of his desk but ordering tea would have been too much risk, considering that those two had invented one of Hogwart's most popular ingestive prank lines and didn't like him very well. He didn't fancy ending up as a canary or something equally ridiculous.

"Well gentlemen, would you care to explain how you got the idea of breaking into my office yesterday?" he said looking at them with a raised brow. The question of how they found out that he had been trapped by the Headmaster had followed him through the day and he couldn't wait to finally get an answer to it.

Both of them grinned cheekily. "We had to make sure you were trustworthy, before activating the Sickle we had given you," the older one, Fred, explained. "So we used our late-night meeting here to place one of our own inventions in your office. It enabled us to hear what was going on in here."

He stared at them with a dark expression, even though he was secretly impressed with them. They had bugged his office without him noticing a thing, which meant that they were either pretty skilled or he was starting to slip. For all of their sakes, he hoped it wasn't the latter.  
"I see," he said, his voice bare of emotion. "And did you find what you heard amusing?"  
Fred Weasley raised his brows questioningly. "You mean the fact that we were right to trust you? Or that you're friends with Hermione? Or are you referring to the fact that the Headmaster cursed you in the hope to keep you away from the Ministry to rescue her?"  
The other Wealeay looked at him with a smile and without waiting for his answer he said: "None of that is amusing to us, even if some of it definitely comes as a surprise."  
Severus nodded. "I imagine you do have some questions and I think after your little stunt yesterday I do owe you some answers."  
For a moment they looked at each other and it was, like some sort of silent communication was going on between the two of them. Such an ability would definitely explain their success in mischief-making.  
Finally, Fred Weasley looked at him and asked: "Do you know what's wrong with Hermione? She's not been herself ever since she returned. Has You-Know-Who done something to her to change her like this?"  
Severus' lips twitched. So they had noticed it too, at least to some extent. Good. The would need good instincts if they wanted to survive this war. "I'm unfortunately only partly aware what the Dark Lord does or does not do to our friend," he said, looking at them with a calm expression. "What I do know is that this girl at the castle is not Hermione Granger."  
For a moment they looked at him with wide eyes, before both of them nodded in unison. "Of course," George Weasley finally said, his voice sounding somewhat relieved. "We should have realized it's not her."  
The other one nodded. "Do you know who it is then?" he asked, not even questioning Severus statement. Suddenly he looked at Severus like he was some sort of ally to them. Gryffindors and their ability to easily trust people.  
The potions master sighed. "Not exactly, no. I'm pretty sure it's a Death Eater. But as I am not sure why that imposter is here in the first place, as the Dark Lord chose not to inform me of his plan, I can only guess. It has to be someone without a regular job, otherwise, the disappearance would have been noticed. But that still leaves at least five possible suspects."  
They nodded with a sigh. "Alright. That's only part of the problem anyway. If the girl at the castle is not Hermione, that means Hermione is still with him. We need to get her out though."  
Severus wholeheartedly agreed. "As soon as possible, yes. I wanted to get her out of the ministry as long as she is still there taking her exams. But someone has made sure that I have enough exams to watch so that I don't have a spare moment to leave the castle or anything else for that matter."

The twins looked at him like they were waiting for something, but when I did not continue speaking Fred said: "Is this the moment you'll be asking us for help? Because as it looks you'll need to be at two places at a time. Luckily there's that neat little potion called Polyjuice." The boy grinned and for a moment Severus stared at him speechlessly.  
He needed to get out of the castle but he was pretty sure Dumbledore wouldn't let him go, at least not without him knowing that he had fallen victim to an imposter. But as soon as the old goat was aware of that fact, he would do his best to keep him away from Hermione. Severus had once made the mistake of trusting the Headmaster with his plan, he would not do so again. The man had used up the last bit of Severus' trust by stabbing him in the back. This meant he would keep the old manipulator out of line this time, letting him try gaining the trust of his new warden instead. It wasn't any less than the man deserved.  
"I never thought I'd say this, but if you can pull this off, it will be the greatest prank Hogwarts has ever seen. Unfortunately, I will not allow you to talk about it to anyone else but yourselves and Hermione, not ever. Is that understood?" he asked, putting on his darkest expression. But somehow those boys could not be found to be intimidated.  
"Absolutely, Sir. We can not be missed for our Charms NEWT though. Our mum would kill us if we get any fewer NEWTs than we planned to. Luckily for you, Georgie and I don't have any exams tomorrow and there's always a fresh batch of Polyjuice in our dorm … for educational purposes of course," the older Weasley said winking at him.  
Severus couldn't help but snort. "Of course," he said, his lip twitching ever so slightly. "Well gentleman, it looks like I am indeed asking for your help then. But whatever you do, keep away from the Headmaster. He tends to know what people think and I mean that literally."  
The twins snorted before Fred said: "Are you trying to tell us that parading in front of the Headmaster while breaking about 20 school rules and several laws is not a good idea? Wouldn't have guessed that one."

His twin elbowed him, before saying: "Don't worry Professor. When it comes to breaking rules we are the experts. We're not doing this for fun, but for Hermione so believe me, we know what's at stake.  
" We won't get caught."  
The potions master studied them seriously for a long moment. Finally, he nodded with a sigh. "Very well. I will trust you in this, gentlemen. There's another problem I might encounter at the ministry though. Unfortunately, there's the very real possibility that I won't be able to even touch Hermione, let alone apparate her. The Dark Lord has the unfortunate habit of protecting what he regards as his with the most complex and deadly spells."  
The Weasley twins shared another one of those long, meaningful looks before turning back to him. "Use this then. It's a portkey that will activate as soon as Hermione touches it."  
Snape snorted. "Why am I not surprised that you've made an unauthorized portkey?" he said, rubbing the bridge of his long nose. "Very well. Where will it be taking her? Because I can tell you right now, that the Burrow is not a good idea."

They grinned. "For now it's destined for our secret hideout."

"The lab behind the statue of the three-eyed troll?" Severus asked with an amused eye roll. For once he seemed to have surprised them.

"You know about our lab?" George asked before his brother interrupted him with a snort.  
"Of course he does."

00000


	53. Chapter 53

A.N.: Here we go again. Some warnings ahead. There is again a mention of torture, again nothing explicit. But I wanted to warn you, just in case. Thank you for all your encouraging comments. They always make my day. I do need some motivation right now, as work is hard and I barely find the energy to sit down and write. No matter what happens: there will be at least one update per week. But I still hope to be able to hold my current update schedule of uploading a new chapter every 2 to 3 days. We'll see.

For those who asked: I and my family are alright and healthy. I am back to work and do have some social contacts now. That definitely helps to not feel depressed.

Chapter 53: All or nothing

Being Severus Snape was less fun than George had expected. It had never been a question that he would be the one taking the Polyjuice, as Fred had always been the more reckless of the twins. And recklessness was not what they needed right now. Snape had been right when he told them that _someone_ was trying to keep him busy. Shouldn't there have been at least a short break between exams and mealtimes? He had hardly time to use the loo as it was.

Why was Snape being kept this busy? There had to be more to the story than he and Fred already knew. Dumbledore knew that he and Hermione were friends and still he had forbidden the man to come to her rescue to the ministry. George doubted that this was just because he didn't want to endanger Snape's position as a spy. The man had that position for _years_ without being discovered, which meant he was no idiot. Still Dumbledore had gone as far as cursing the man to keep him away from the Ministry and therefore Hermione. But now she was rescued, at least in Dumbledore's eyes. So why did the man still try to keep Snape away from her?

It was all a big mystery, one that Snape did have the answer for. George was sure of it. Maybe he would ask him, once this whole adventure was behind them and Hermione was safely back in the castle.

"You're smiling more than usual," McGonagall suddenly commented next to him at the dinner table. "Any particular reason for your sudden good mood?" The day was almost over and so far things had gone well enough - until now.

"Don't be ridiculous," he brushed her off evenly. Merlin, his thoughts had just roamed for a second, but it must have been enough, to relax his features enough for her to realize. "A merely thought that we almost got rid of another batch of dunderheads. You should be happy to. You're getting rid of the terrible two."

McGonagall looked at him with a scowl. "Oh stop it, you. Those boys are much more intelligent than you give them credit for. Besides, you haven't taught them for almost two years now. So stop complaining about them."

George wanted to snicker. By the sound of it, this wasn't the first time Snape was complaining about them. He decided to ignore McGonagall's last comment in the hope that this was what Snape would have done. Instead, he schooled his features into the grumpy expression the Potions Master wore all the time. Merlin, did the guy need to wear this many layers? How was he doing that without cooling and featherlight charms? George couldn't wait to finally get out of those robes but for that, Snape first had to return, hopefully with Hermione in tow.

It was two hours later when he finally entered Snape's office and by then he was ready to fall into his bed face first. Hopefully, the potions master would return soon, otherwise, he would louse up his exams because he was unable to keep his eyes open.

Where was Snape anyway? Shouldn't he have been back by now? George sunk into the chair behind the desk with a sigh. Thank god he didn't need to start correcting homework or something like that. Instead, he'd just sit here and take a quick nap, while he waited for the man's return.

That plan lasted for about ten minutes until there was suddenly a knock at his office door. Snape wouldn't be knocking, therefore it was most likely a student, probably a Slytherin. Should he simply ignore the knock? But no, that's not what Snape would have done. And he didn't want somebody to think that the man was somewhere else, right?

With a sigh, George rose from his very comfortable chair, schools his face into a mask of indifference and opened the door. It wasn't a Slytherin that wanted to speak to him though, it was Hermione's doppelgänger who was most likely a Death Eater. Well, fuck!

Ssssssss

Severus had left the castle even before breakfast. If he wanted a chance to find Hermione, he had to make as much out of the day as possible. Being at the Ministry before it even opened for visitors was one important part of the plan. He needed to watch the wand-registration-desk, because when Hermione wanted to enter to write her exams, she would have to pass that point. There was no way around it, not even for the Dark Lord.

And so Severus disillusioned himself and then he waited. It was almost an hour later when the first visitors started trudging through the entrance. Most of them were alone, but he knew that Voldemort could always disillusion himself like he had done, so that was nothing to go by. Still, he had taught Hermione Granger for years and had been friends with her for a while, he _knew _her, no matter what disguise the Dark Lord had put her in. It was almost an hour later when he finally saw her. Her hair was still brown but her mop of wild curled had vanished and been transformed to something way more boring. Her features and eyes were different and even though that young woman did look somewhat observant and hesitant, there was no doubt that it was her. So why didn't she go to the exam rooms like she was supposed to and instead took the elevator? Severus cursed. As soon as the elevator doors closed behind her, he would have no chance to find out where she had gone. But squeezing into the little cabin with her, while there was a disillusioned and possessive Dark Lord at her side, was a horrible idea.

Within a split second, he had made his decision and pulled out his wand, before murmuring a spell he had invented during the last months. It wouldn't help him right away, but if he was really not able to track her down in the ministry today, he would at least be able to track her when he was back at Hogwarts. He hoped that would not be necessary, but as a Slytherin, he always had a plan B.

The spell hit her right in time and for a moment Hermione could have sworn she felt something, as she seemed to hesitate for a split-second. But then she stepped into the elevator and the doors closed behind her. The thing was going upstairs, this much he could see, but nothing more.

He sighed inwardly. Alright, time to tackle that problem logically. Hermione was obviously not writing her OWLs with all the others. That meant that his master needed at least one insider at the Ministry to make that possible. There were some Death Eaters with influence at the ministry. Usually, his bet would have been on Lucius, but the man was still at St. Mungo's and he would have to stay there for at least some more weeks. So who else could it be? Dolohov? It was a possibility but he could not ask his comrades, as it would have only drawn unwanted attention towards him.

So what else could he do? Searching the Ministry would take the whole day. The place was huge and his master could be lurking behind every corner. The man had planned this whole thing through like he planned everything. Was there even the chance to get Hermione out of here? There had to be because there would be no saying what happened, once the Dark Lord had consumed the potion he had requested from Severus. And he didn't want to find out.

Sssssssss

"Miss Granger," polyjuiced George greeted the imposter in front of Snape's door. "I can't say I've been expecting you nor do I feel inclined to suffer your hundreds of questions, you've surely prepared. You'll have to write your potions exam tomorrow without getting them answered I'm afraid. So if you'll excuse me…"

He wanted to close the door, but it was expertly blocked by her foot. When he looked down at her small frame, the witch was deviously grinning at him, which was a scary look on Hermione's face. George was sure it would haunt his nightmares if he survived this encounter.

"Not so fast my friend," she singsonged, causing him to shudder. "I came all the way down into your cold and damp dungeon, so what will the master say if you just send me away?" George had heard this way of speaking before, even though it had been with another voice.

"Bella," he said evenly, staring down at her with a raised brow. But secretly he knew that he was in big trouble. He could only hope that Fred sitting in their lab listened in to this encounter and would have some clever plan to get him out of this mess. Merlin, what was he supposed to say to that mad hatter? Could it be that Snape was even friends with her, or at least pretended to be? Merlin, this whole situation was so much out of his depth…

"Severus," the witch greeted back, before striding into the office like she owned the place. There she strode to the man's chair, sat down on it and stared at him with an arrogant expression in Hermione's face. "I am in need of some more Polyjuice as our Lord has requested for me to hold my position at the castle until his new… pet has finished parading through the Ministry."

George would have loved to snap at her, but that wasn't something Snape would have done, right? Instead, he looked at her with a raised brow, combined with his mouth set into a straight line. "Why hasn't our Lord informed me of that plan then? It takes a full moon to brew Polyjuice, as you very well know. And as I am rarely in need of such an amateur potion and the stuff turns bad after a short period of time I am not keeping a stack of it at my office."

He looked at her with a dark expression. It was the truth. Fred and George had brewed the potion themselves and therefore knew the perfidies of brewing and storing it. By the look of it Bellatrix Lestrange knew them too, as she huffed annoyedly before looking at him with a wicked smile. "Well, that's unfortunate then. But I'll adapt my plan accordingly."

George stared at her for a long moment. "Good. See that you do. If you need any other help…"

That was obviously the wrong thing to say, as Hermione's doppelgänger suddenly looked at him with small, inquiring eyes. "You're not Severus Snape," she suddenly said, jumping from the chair, her wand suddenly pointing at him.

"Don't be ridiculous," George said evenly, staring at her with a dark expression. "Who else would I be?"

The woman smirked. "I have no idea, but I'll enjoy finding out."

Her eyes flashed scarily. He didn't even have time pulling out his wand from his sleeve before her Crucio hit him into the chest and he crumpled screamingly on the floor. The pain lasted only for a few seconds, but the evil grin on his attacker's face told him that this was just the beginning.

"You're definitely not Severus Snape," she said, now towering over him. "I've seen the man being tortured for the inch of his life and he didn't even moan. He'd rather bitten off his sharp tongue. Whoever _you_ are, torturing you is so much more _fun_."

There was no time for a reply or the attempt to defend himself as the next torture curse hit him right away. His world was turning raw with pain, but only for two seconds. Then the pain was suddenly gone.

For a moment George remained motionless on the floor, as his muscles refused to obey him. Finally, he managed to open his eyes and instead of Hermione's clone Severus Snape was looking down at him with dark, fathomless eyes.

"You're back," George gasped, before pulling himself up with a groan. Just then he saw that his torturess was lying bound on the floor, her eyes moving hastily back and forth between the two of them. It was obvious that she was connecting the dots.

"Right in time as it appears," Snape replied evenly, before turning around to the woman on the floor. His eyes had gone cold and calculating, while the expression on the rest of his face didn't change.

"Well Bella, you're not the only one with questions," he said, before kneeling down next to her with his wand pointing at her face. She stared back at him with wild eyes.

"You've betrayed him, you've betrayed our master," she exclaimed with wild eyes full of madness. "I knew you were a dirty little traitor, Severus Snape. But the master will learn of this and then he'll kill you… slowly."

Snape didn't seem fazed by her words and just stared at her while calmly unbuttoning his cuffs. "He will learn of my allegiance… eventually, but it will not be through you."

George stared at the two of them with wide eyes, his legs still shaking under him. In his very own way, Snape could be as scary as Bellatrix Lestrange and that was saying something. But for once in his life, George was glad that the man was here and on his side.

"You can't break me, Severus. You can torture me as much as you like and all it will do is to make me laugh at your pitiful attempts. I will never tell you what you want to know…" slowly her eyes were changing back and bit by bit also the rest of her body, causing Hermione's much smaller robes to burst at the seams. Within seconds it was no longer Hermione lying in front of him, but Bellatrix Lestrange. And even though it was a scary sight George preferred it a hundred times to seeing Hermione's features deformed by madness and ruthlessness.

Snape might have thought the same thing, as suddenly a small smile appeared on his lips. "That's where you are wrong, Bella. We both have our talents after all. You will sing like a nymph and tell me everything I want to know and I will not even torture you for it."

Suddenly there was a potion phial in his hand. George hadn't even seen him pulling it out. The man expertly uncorked it with his left hand, while his right one held his wand and forced the witch with a spell to open her mouth. All superiority was gone from her eyes now, substituted my mere panic. George had never expected to actually enjoy that look on somebody's face, but Merlin he did. "The Dark Lord will learn of this," she shrieked, fighting her restraints. Just to make sure they held George cast another layer of body bind on top of Snape's spell. "He will realize that you've obliviated me right away."

At that, Snape's smile turned almost predatory. "I never said I would obliviate you. I am a Potions Master, dear Bella, and today you'll learn that this implies much more than brewing headache potions or Polyjuice." With that, he emptied the phial into her mouth, before making sure she swallowed every bit of it. George could only hope that it hadn't been Veritasserum, as this amount would have killed her right away.

But Bellatrix Lestrange's eyes only turned glassy, while her pupils dilated and her breathing became slow and even. Then, finally, Snape turned around and looked at him with a grim, determined expression.

"I don't expect you to stay for this, Mr Weasley. The Polyjuice will wear off any minute, so you are free to go if you wish."

George stared at him, his mouth turning into a humourless smile. "I'm staying," he said, his mouth a straight, determined line.

"This will get ugly," the man warned him, his eyes trailing towards the helpless witch on the floor.

The redhead shrugged. "I don't care. That bitch has tortured me and probably hundreds of others. It's not like I'll suddenly feel sorry for her."

Snape nodded. "As you wish. But whatever you learn stays between me, you and your twin for now. Nobody else must learn of this little encounter for now. I need your vow on this." George stared at the man for a long moment. He was serious in his demand, but there was no way George would let this chance slip through his fingers. Because he had a myriad of questions on his own.

But just when he was about to open his mouth for a reply Snape's door burst open and his twin looked at them with a devilish smile on his lips. "Looks like I'm right on time," he said, closing the door behind him. "Mind if I join the party?" He looked at them with glinting eyes, before he looked back and forth between the two of them. "Bloody hell, who of you's the real Snape?" he asked, staring from one to the other.

But just as Snape wanted to say something, he snorted with a grin. "Just kidding. I can always find my twin. Sorry about your door by the way."

Snape looked at the two of them with a serious expression. "I mean it, gentleman. Whatever we learn, stays between the three of us for now. Is that clear?"

They nodded, locking their eyes with the potions master.

"Absolutely," they chorussed, now suddenly not sounding alike at all.

"We will make this vow under one condition. When you're finished with her, we do have some questions on our own."

Snape's mouth twitched. "This will be a long evening then."

George nodded and suddenly he realized that he no longer felt tired at all.


	54. Chapter 54

A.N.: Hello my friends. Here's the next chapter for you. I hope you enjoy. Thank you for all your comments. I read and appreciate all of them!

Chapter 54: Lost hope

"Why did you come to my office tonight?" Severus' calm voice asked, while his eyes bored into her skull like they could rip all her secrets out of her. They could, with the right spell, but then the Dark Lord would know what he had done and that mustn't happen.

"I planned on trapping you. 'S not like I really needed Polyjuice. I came well prepared. But the master finally needs to see you for what you are…"

"That's enough," he interrupted her and immediately her mouth snapped shut. The potion he designed had its merits, not only forcing the consumer to tell the truth but to obey almost every command he gave. If there had been Unforgivables in Potions, this would have been the Imperius among them. He smiled.

"So you planned to tell him that I refused to help in the hope that he would punish me?" he continued, his voice unimpressed.

"It would have worked," she said, voice devoid of all emotion. Suddenly she didn't sound like her crazy self at all.

"It might have," he said "if you had resisted the urge to torture for once. You could have been gone, when I came back and even told the Dark Lord of me working with the enemy." He smiled darkly, causing the young Weasleys next to him to shift uncomfortably.

"What are you supposed to do for him at the castle? This isn't just about covering for the Open Link. There's something else behind this visit, isn't it?"

"The Dark Lord trusts me. I'm supposed to get him Ravenclaw's Diadem. He'd hidden it at the castle many years ago, but now he thinks it's no longer safe. He sent me to get it, even though you've been at the castle the whole time. Why is that?" even though her voice was still expressionless, her voice mirrored her unadulterated thoughts on the matter. She would keep talking, unhinged through the potion if he didn't hold her back, which he did with a gesture of his hand. And again her mouth snapped shut, letting her teeth click together.

Ravenclaw's diadem? Hadn't that been lost for hundreds of years? No longer it seemed, as the Dark Lord had found it and if Severus' assumption was right, used it for his very own purposes. He shuddered. How many more Horcruxes did that Bastard make? And how was he supposed to ever find and destroy all of them?

He sighed. "Where is it then?" he asked, staring at her with an unwavering gaze. At that, Bellatrix seemed to fight the potion, as her eyes suddenly regained some of their fire, while she painfully bit her lip to keep herself from talking. Blood started dribbling down her chin, but it worked. Merlin, that woman was even more stubborn than a hippogriff.

Severus looked at the Weasley twins next to him with a raised brow. By now George had regained his old looks again so they two pairs of brown eyes stared back at him with a stubborn glint reflecting in them. "It's your last chance to go, boys," he said and for a quick moment, they actually seemed to consider that option. But finally, they squared their shoulders and shook their heads.

"I'm staying," George replied stubbornly, looking at the witch on the floor with fire in his eyes. "Tell me what I can do to help."

Fred nodded. "I'm going nowhere. That bitch tortured my twin. I'm not finished with her."

The potions master considered their answers for a split second before he pressed two more phials into George's hand. "I'm going to need all my concentration for the next step. Give those potions to her; I'm going to make sure she opens her mouth and swallows them. At first the red one. It's a healing potion and will help to stabilize her for what I intend to do. After that give her the colourless potion."

The redhead nodded obediently. Severus cast the necessary charms and without hesitation, George Weasley did as he was told. It was only a moment before Bellatrix' eyes rolled back in her head, as she blacked out. At that, he could see a mild panic creeping in the boy's eyes. "Was that supposed to happen?"

"Don't worry, she's fine. I'm going to intrude into her mind now and get everything about that blasted diadem while she's unable to fight back. Whatever happens, don't interfere. I will not kill her, even if it might look that way. I trust you two to have my back, as long as I'm dealing with her. Can you do that? No one is supposed to enter that office."

George and Fred Weasley nodded with a determined expression on their faces.

"You have our word," they promised, looking around the room with hard eyes. Somehow those careless pranksters had developed into men that were worthy of being called a Gryffindor. Severus had no doubt that their loyalty wasn't with him at the moment, but in Hermione, they had a common friend. And Severus was quite sure that those Weasleys would do almost anything for that girl. That was good enough for him right now.

Ssssssss

It was good Snape told him that we would not kill her, because it might very well have looked like it. The woman was screaming and thrashing on the floor, while blood had started trickling out of her nose. It was scary to watch but Fred believed firmly that Snape knew what he was doing.

It was almost half an hour later when the man finally snapped out of his trance, his pale face sweaty and his eyes bloodshot. Whatever he had done, had also taken a toll on him.

"You alright, Sir?" George asked, hurrying to help the man up. But Snape just shot him a dirty look, before pulling himself up with a grimace on his face. He swayed to one of his cupboards, before grabbing a handful of vials and drowning them one by one. When he finally looked back at the two of them a moment later, he almost looked like his old, grumpy self and George wouldn't have been able to tell something had been wrong with him a moment ago if he hadn't just witnessed it. Then he rushed back with three more phials in hand, offering one of them to Fred and George.

"Drink those. It will restore some of your energy and help you get through the night and the next day without crashing your exams," he said and without waiting for their reply he kneeled down next to the still unconscious Bellatrix Lestrange and gave her another thick, green potion. A wave of his wand disillusioned the unconscious body on the floor.

"She'll stay here until we're finished," Snape said, looking at them, while his eyes registered the now empty potion bottles in their hand. Indeed, they were feeling miles better already, as the tiredness seemed to have completely vanished by now.

"That sounds like you've found the location of this diadem," Fred said smiling crookedly.

Snape nodded. "More or less. It's in a place called Room of Hidden Things. Ever heard of that place?"

George furrowed his brows. He and Fred knew the castle inside out, but they had never found a room deserving of that name. Luckily Hermione had introduced him to a very resourceful house-elf, that knew the castle inside out.

"No, but I know someone who might have. Dobby?"

The little elf appeared in front of him a moment later. "Mr George Weasley has called for Dobby, Sir?" he squeaked, looking at Snape with a dark expression in his saucer-like eyes. Then his gaze swept over the spot where the now invisible witch was lying on the floor. A strange gleam appeared in them before a devious, little smile crept in Dobby's features. It almost seemed like the little creature approved of what he obviously had no problems seeing.

"Do you know of a place called Room of Hidden Things?" George asked and the little elf looked at him with a smile.

Dobby nodded eagerly. "Dobby does know the room, Sir."

The redhead grinned. "Excellent. Can you take us there?"

The little elf straightened proudly, nodded and offered them his tiny, wrinkly hands. George took one of them without hesitation and Snape followed his example shortly after. "Dobby is happy to help," he chirped and a moment later the first two of them were gone with a silent plop.

ssssssss

"I can't believe we found it," George said, sinking tiredly into the chair Snape had provided for him in his office. It had taken them about two hours of browsing through the massive room, but finally, Fred had found something that fit the description of Ravenclaw's lost Diadem. But by then it had been almost 1 o'clock in the morning.

Snape hummed in agreeance, staring with his hands folded in front of his chin at the tarnished tiara, sitting in a glass container on his desk. Why had Voldemort hidden a piece of jewellery? Was it because the thing was rumoured to have special powers? But why did he hide it instead of using it?

It was all very mysterious, but somehow he had the feeling that Snape had the answers. But would the man be willing to share them? Maybe one day, if they had established some sort of trust between them. Considering that they had disliked each other for years and Hermione was the only factor connecting them for now that probably could take some time. George sighed.

"What next?" Fred asked, rubbing his neck. "Will you let Lestrange continue pretending to be Hermione? We still don't know if this was her only task at Hogwarts, right?" He motioned towards the diadem on the desk, causing Snape to weigh his head.

"The diadem wasn't her only task," he said, looking at them with an unreadable expression on his face. "I was very thorough when I searched her mind. She's also tasked to kill the both of you, as the Dark Lord still believes that Hermione has linked herself to you."

George cursed. "I guess it was only a matter of time until he sent someone other than the Slytherin's after us. So what now? I don't fancy being killed by that ugly bitch."

Fred snorted, while Snape rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Unfortunately I was not able to free Hermione from the Dark Lord today. She was exceptionally well protected which proves that the Dark Lord doesn't leave anything to chance. Getting her back will be most difficult, especially as time is working against us. The Dark Lord is a very intelligent and manipulative man and he is determined to forge a link to her. Once he manages that no one will be able to stop him."

The twins nodded seriously. "Means we have to get her out as soon as possible."

"Indeed. For that to happen we need somebody on the inside. As I am currently the only Order Member enjoying the Dark Lord's trust, it is important that I keep that position for now."

That made sense, George found. Without a spy, they had no chance knowing of Hermione's whereabouts. But he sensed where this train of thoughts was going and he didn't like it. "So you mean we cannot expose Bellatrix right now," he said, causing Snape's lips to twitch.

"_I _can not expose her," he corrected them with a smile. "You on the other hand… if her goal is indeed to kill you, she will seek you out sooner or later. You could use that to your advantage or make your very own plan…"

George stared into the distance, but his head had already started making first plans.

"I don't think we could beat her in a duel. She's reckless and volatile. But we don't have to beat her, do we? We just need to find a way to expose her, preferably when there are enough witnesses around."

Fred grinned. "I think we can do that, what do you say Georgie?"

The other redhead nodded. "Absolutely. Don't worry Professor. I think I already have a plan for how to do it."

ssssssss

Severus was not coming for her, Hermione realized. The whole week she had been hopeful that he would still disappear out of nowhere and whisk her away, but the sad reality was, that she had just concluded her last exam and the man had still not appeared.

The day before she could have sworn that she had felt his magic for a second, as she entered the Ministry in the morning. But it was probably all just wishful thinking. Voldemort and Bellatrix had tricked him and her friends and therefore destroyed her best chance to get away from him and that horrible place. It wasn't his fault, of course, Voldemort was as clever and cunning as they come, but still, Hermione couldn't help but be vastly disappointed that her best chance to get away had gone by without being used.

Which meant that she was still stuck in that hell-hole with no way out. She wanted to scream and cry from frustration. She had only survived the last weeks because she told herself that she would be gone by now. That was the thought that kept her upright and let her continue fighting. But now it was like the last bit of fighting spirit had left her, leaving her hopeless and exhausted.

How was she supposed to endure this any longer without losing herself in this net of manipulation? She had the feeling that Voldemort turned more and more desperate day by day and that he would soon lose his patience and simply try to take what he regarded as his. Hermione shivered at the thought of that happening.

"You look disheartened, even though I am pretty sure you did fabulously in your exams. The results will of course only be published in a few weeks, but I heard that you can be quite pleased with yourself, Miss Granger." He rarely used his name these days, as he more and more seemed to enjoy giving her pet names.

"I'm not feeling well," she replied, feeling that she was slowly losing the fight to hold her tears back. God, she needed out. Crying in front of that bastard was not an option. Hastily she got to her feet, the food on her plate didn't appeal to her anyway. "If you'll excuse me. I'm not hungry today."

Hermione didn't wait for his answer and nearly ran from the room. But where should she go? To her room? Hurry would find her there in the hope to assist her while preparing for bed. But she didn't feel like she could face the elf right now. Apart from that Rita Skeeter was still lurking in the tank in her room and Hermione would never allow _her_ to see her cry. But where else could she go?

Her feet carried her to the only place in the house she truly felt comfortable in. Books had always had a soothing effect on her. Without thinking, she dashed to one of the huge windows, climbed on the window sill and pulled the curtains closed. Then she cast the strongest disillusionment and silencing charms she could muster on herself. It was right in time because a second later the first sob escaped her mouth before the tears started falling. Hermione didn't hold them back and allowed all her despair and self-pity to break free. Just once she needed to cry it out and scream, otherwise, she would start breaking from the inside. _Why_ hadn't Severus come for her? _Why_ had he broken his promise? And why had Bellatrix Lestrange of all people managed to impersonate her successfully for a whole week without anyone noticing? That woman was _crazy_, someone must have noticed that? Or did her friends no longer care enough for her to try looking behind the books and finding out what happened? Had they maybe already moved on without her?

A noise from outside the curtains let her freeze. There was someone outside, walking through the library with quick steps murmuring to himself. For a moment Hermione sat in silence, listening intensely. It wasn't Voldemort, she quickly realized but the other man she had seen a few times but who had always avoided her presence and barely talked to her. He was looking for something, she realized as she carefully peeked through the curtains of the window. The man was quickly moving from shelf to shelf, analysing the titles of the books with sharp, grey eyes.

What was he looking for?

She leaned a bit more forward, but unfortunately, that was enough for him to realize that he was not alone. His eyes snapped up, looking at the small slit between the curtains in concentration.

"I can tell that you're there," he said, walking towards her with stormy eyes. It was like they were directly looking at her, the intensity in them making her shiver. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice bare of any sympathy for her.

"Nothing. I was simply hiding here," she admitted sniffling.

"Hide somewhere else then," he demanded, folding his arms in front of his chest. "I need the library."

Hermione copied his gesture before she realized that he was unable to see it. And so she cancelled her disillusionment after a moment of hesitation. His grey eyes immediately took in her dishevelled appearance.

"Has he hurt you?" he asked, his voice serious.

She shook her head, tears reappearing in her eyes. "No. It's just… I'll stay here forever, won't I? I'm trapped here like a mouse, waiting until the cat is finally tired of playing with me. There's no way out… is there?" She sobbed.

He watched her with a detached expression.

"Do you want to be comforted? Or do you want to hear the truth?" he asked, staring at her without compassion.

"The truth," she hiccuped, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I am here for a very long time now. Many times I thought I finally made it, finally had the right plan or made the right ally. I'm still here."

She nodded, understanding what he was trying to tell her. "Then you're a prisoner, too?" she asked, taking in his clean clothes and skinny appearance.

He snorted. "Guest, prisoner, slave… it's all the same at this place." he shrugged, already turning away from her again. "Stay if you must. But keep your mouth shut. I need to concentrate."

With that he moved back to the centre of the library, ignoring her presence on the window sill. Hermione followed him with sharp eyes. "Alright. I won't bother you," she promised, realizing that the tears had finally stopped falling. Somehow that stranger had distracted her enough to regain at least part of her composure. "Just one last thing. What's your name?"

For a moment she thought he would not reply, but finally, she heard his voice answering from somewhere in the back of the room. "Eric, my name's Eric," he said in between the rustling of paper. "And now shut up. I'm busy."

Hermione retreated behind the curtains with a huff, before she recast the charms protecting her privacy. What a gruff fellow. But at least he hadn't hesitated to confront her with the truth, no matter how hard it was. And that made him the most trustworthy being in that house but considering the other inhabitants that really wasn't saying much.

Sssssss


	55. Chapter 55

A.N.: Hello guys, I've been writing like a crazy woman in the last days and I can proudly say that I finished the second part of this story. It will end with chapter 61. Thank you for your ongoing support and for sticking with this story. I appreciate it!

Chapter 55: New perspectives

When Hermione walked down for breakfast the next morning, she could barely keep her eyes open. She had sat in the library until deep into the night and listened to Eric's murmurs and the rustling of paper. Somehow it had helped her to calm her strained nerves and after a while, she had found herself dozing off against the window frame, which was telling her that it was probably time to go to bed. But as soon as she was there, her head bedded on the silken pillow she found, she could no longer fall asleep.

"You look exhausted," Voldemort said, as soon as she had sat down at the table.

"I am," she admitted and it wasn't even a lie. "The last weeks took a toll on me and now that the exams are over, I suddenly find myself without a perspective."

He nodded, an understanding smile on his lips. "That is only natural, I assume. You've been working hard to achieve your goals but now it is time for you to relax."

She nodded slowly, even though she doubted that she would be able to relax, considering the circumstances. And so she simply stared at him, without saying anything in reply.

Voldemort smiled at her, showing his white teeth. "I know we've had our disagreements in the last days, but I promised to make it up to you. How about a little trip to the beach? I do own a beautiful deserted island in the middle of the Atlantic Oceans, where the two of us could relax for some days."

He had to be kidding. The two of them lounging at the beach with his nearly white skin covered in nothing but swimming trunks? The thought was ridiculous and scary at the same time. What did he hope to achieve, dragging her to some deserted beach? She shuddered internally. "I'm not much of a beach person, I fear," she said, plastering a regretful smile on her face. But she probably just looked tired while doing so.

Voldemort nodded contemplatively, even though Hermione found that he did look a bit disappointed. Merlin, had he hoped to see her in a Bikini or what?

"That's a pity then. Any other place you'd like to see then? Just name it and I'll take you there," he promised, looking at her with a self-assured smile. Hermione couldn't help but stare. Was he serious?

"I...do you mean it? Anywhere? What if I'd like to visit the Chinese Wall or go sliding with the penguins in Antarctica?" she asked, her voice full of disbelief.

He looked at her full of amusement. "Then I would take you there, Hermione," he promised. It was the first time he used her first name and she had the feeling it had been deliberate. She shuddered. What was he playing at?

Still, it was another chance to leave that damned house and the wards behind her and who knew? Maybe she would even find a chance to run away?

She thought for a long moment. "How about a trip to Paris? I heard they have one of the biggest collections of magical books," she proposed. "We could visit the Louvre and explore the city…" she said, her voice trailing off dreamily as she began to like the idea more.

Somehow her answer seemed to please him. "Paris it is, then. I'll have to make some preparations, but we could leave in a few days if that's what you wish."

Hermione nodded with a little smile. "That would be wonderful! Imagine all those books and the knowledge they contain," she said excitedly and found, that indeed hope was slowly returning to her. Even though she was still stuck with that horrible man, her life was far from over. She would find a way home, sooner or later. She had been to Paris countless times with her parents and knew the city and the language fairly well. When there was a place for her to get away on her own, then it was Paris with it's strong magical community. She'd just have to be careful and watch out for a chance to disappear. And until that chance arose she would learn as much as she could from him and use the chances Voldemort offered her. Somehow that plan made her even feel a little bit like a Slytherin and she didn't mean that in a bad way.

Ssssssss

Fred and George Weasley were finally free. With the help of Snape's brilliant potion (they still didn't know what he had given them) they had written their last NEWT exam with three hours of sleep beforehand and still felt like they were at their best. Afterwards, they had partied in the Gryffindor common room with all the other seven-graders. They had a reputation to uphold after all. When the potion suddenly ran out, they had barely made it into their dorm before crashing into their beds and sleeping for 12 hours straight, missing their breakfast in consequence. But that was alright, as they were their own master's now and that meant sleeping in for the next days and weeks. From now on they were making their own time schedule.

"Where have you been?" their little brother asked George when he finally joined the other Gryffindors for lunch. "Where's Fred? Don't tell me he's had too much to drink and is still out." Fred was here, right at George's side in fact, but no one would be able to see him, for now. They had decided to go through with their plan as soon as possible, as they needed to have the initiative if they wanted to expose Bellatrix and therefore protect the castle and its inhabitants from her murderous tendencies.

"He's still puking in the bathroom," George lied with an eye roll. "But don't worry little brother, he'll be here soon enough smelling of minty toothpaste."

Ron snorted amusedly, before focussing on the food that was just arriving on the table. George sat down across from him, next to Harry while he knew that Fred would carefully move to the end of the table, where the polyjuiced Bellatrix Lestrange was sitting. Cancelling the potion would be easy enough, they had used similar spells to cancel the effect of their products and woven it into several antidotes. They had plenty of experience in that area. The tricky part was casting the counterspell without being noticed but in fact all it required was a big enough distraction. That was Dobby's job, as he had access to the kitchen and therefore the food. They had given him a phial of their newest experimental potion and all George had to do now was provide an alibi. He generously loaded his plate and poured himself some of the altered pumpkin juice before taking a large sip of it. The potion was tasteless, but the effect was instant. He felt his body shift and it was a strange feeling, even though he knew what would happen. Some of the other students, who had taken a sip of pumpkin juice too, changed as well so that it was only a moment later, when cheers and shouts erupted all around them, as around twenty students had temporarily shifted to the opposite sex. It was hilarious and George would have remembered it as his best prank if that had been the whole purpose. But it was only shortly after, when the shouts and giggles morphed to screams of agitation and panic, when the first one sighted Bellatrix Lestrange, now looking very much like herself.

The now exposed Death Eater instantly leapt to her feet, looking through the Great Hall with wide, crazy eyes. "Who dares..." she hissed but she was interrupted by Dumbledore, who got up from his chair and stared at her with eyes that reminded of ice.

"Bellatrix," he said, while already moving towards her. "I can't remember having invited you to the castle. Where's Miss Granger?"

"You brought me here, you old fool," the woman said, her voice taunting. "And you didn't even realize that it wasn't your precious golden girl, did you?"

"But I did," Fred said, suddenly appearing behind her wand in hand. "Georgie and I suspected, we just needed a chance to prove it." His voice was proud, but that only seemed to enrage Bellatrix further.

"Of course it was you," she said, pointing her wand at him with a crazy expression on her face. "The two of you are a thorn in the Dark Lord's side which is why you'll die…"

The green killing curse flew in Fred's direction without warning, but Fred had been prepared for it to happen. He wasn't a Quidditch beater for nothing and luckily his reflexes were excellent, which had him ducking it without breaking out into a sweat. Still, the attempt to kill a student in the middle of the Great Hall was enough to let hell break loose.

"You're not touching my brother," George himself shouted, throwing a stunner at her and he wasn't the only one. Half of the Gryffindor's were on their feet, with Harry in the lead. Bellatrix Lestrange had no chance to defend herself against this many attackers and was knocked off her feet, flying back for several metres before she collapsed unconsciously on the floor. The Great Hall erupted into cheers.

George only cared for his twin though and was at his side as soon as the danger had passed. "Are you alright, Freddie?"

His twin grinned. "Never felt more alive," he replied, throwing his arm around his brother's shoulder.

George nodded. He knew what his brother was saying. His heart pumped excitedly in his chest, while he felt awake as he hadn't since Hermione's disappearance. They had just won a small victory and even if it was still a long way until they finally got their girl back, they had at least started moving into the right direction. And that was more than they had done in the last weeks and months.

sssssss

There was no question that Severus had to let the Dark Lord know what had happened, even though it would probably bring him another round of Crucio. But his punishment for _not_ immediately telling his master what happened would be so much worse and apart from that he needed the man to trust him explicitly if he ever wanted a chance to get Hermione out.

He activated his Dark Mark as soon as he was out of the Great Hall. Dumbledore would be occupied with Bellatrix for the next hours and the school year was luckily over, which left him with enough freedom to immediately hasten towards the apparation point. He found himself in a large dining room shortly after, the table laden with a multitude of different exquisite dishes, while his master was sitting at the head of the table, while Hermione sat on the other end.

"Professor Snape," she greeted him carefully, her eyes unfathomable black pools.

"Severus, my loyal servant," his master said, his eyes glowing. "What has led you to our house at such a late hour?"

He sunk to his knees and bowed his head devotedly. "There was an incident at Hogwarts, my Lord and I saw the need to inform you right away."

"An incident, you say?" Voldemort asked, his voice strained.

Severus nodded. "Maybe your guest should leave the room for that particular discussion, my Lord. You might not want her to listen in…" _to you torturing me, _Severus added in his head.

But his master smiled before his eyes sought out Hermione. "Miss Granger can stay," he said, his voice generous and with, dare he say, affection. "She's going to be my Queen one day and such a position requests a certain amount of trust, don't you think my friend?"

Severus saw Hermione's eyes widen in surprise for a moment, before the blank look was back on her face. The Dark Lord had registered it too and a pleased smile crept on his face. Merlin, he needed to get her out and soon before anything irreversible happened.

He nodded towards his master, before carefully raising to his feet. "I wholeheartedly agree, my Lord. My Lady," he bowed towards his friend, but there was no reaction from her. "During dinner this evening Bellatrix was exposed. The Weasley twins got somehow suspicious of her and they managed to negate her transformation." He avoided using Hermione's name on purpose. It probably wouldn't help him much, but he had to try to soften the blow for him. If the Dark Lord overdid it, Hermione would probably try to intervene or activate the Link and that would mean his death. So he could only hope that her presence somehow helped to restrain his master's more animalistic urges.

"Those twins are more and more growing into a problem," the Dark Lord said, his eyes ghosting over to Hermione. "What about Bella? Where is she now?"

Severus bowed his head. "The Headmaster got hold of her. I believe he'll want to question her first to find out everything Bella knows about your guest's whereabouts. Unfortunately, he is quite a skilled Occlumens, as we know."

Voldemort waved him off unconcernedly. "I considered the risk of her being captured. Bella is well versed in Occlumency. She'd rather kill herself than giving any of my secrets away. Let the old fool try."

"As you say, my Lord," Severus said, bowing his head once again. Dumbledore wouldn't find anything, that was true. He, Severus, needed all his skill and the most aggressive potions to break the woman's defences. "Is there anything you wish me to do?"

His master smiled, first at him then at Hermione. "Be assured that Bella does not require your help, my friend. I want you to concentrate on the potion instead as I am most impatient to have it."

At that Hermione furrowed her brows, looking from one to another sceptically. "What is that potion? I'm not taking anything!" she stated, crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively. Severus winced internally, but instead of punishing her behaviour only brought her an amused smile from his master. Merlin, she had really wrapped that man around her little finger and didn't even know it.

"Don't worry, my Dear. The potion is for me. I asked Severus here to make it, as a little holiday surprise for you."

Hermione blinked in confusion. She had no idea, that much was obvious. Merlin, once that man had his old looks and charms back, it would be so much more difficult for her so keep her distance. And what was that holiday he was talking about? Severus had a very bad feeling about this whole thing, but for now, he had no choice but to obey his master.

"The potion will be ready in two days, master," he promised, bowing his head. _Two days_, until Voldemort would be back to his old self again. Merlin, he needed a plan to get Hermione out of here, _soon._

Ssssssss

He had been tricked. Again Tom had managed to send one of his followers into the castle, right under his nose. But it was even worse, he Albus Dumbledore had brought Bellatrix Lestrange here himself. He had to admit that Tom Riddle was an excellent strategist who had once more turned the game to his favour without Albus even noticing it. Still, he hadn't set him checkmate and now Albus had gotten hold of one of Tom's most important chess pieces and was going to use it to his advantage. Bellatrix was a crazy woman, a merciless one who had taken and destroyed many lives. There was no reason for him to be gentle with her, not when so much was at stake. He needed to finally get a hold on the Open Link. Once Voldemort had established a link to her, even if it was only temporarily, things were lost for him. Then Hermione Granger would be a weapon in the wrong hands and that was something that needed to be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately for Bellatrix, she was the one paying the bill today. But that was alright. Nobody would miss a crazy, murderous witch like her.


	56. Chapter 56

A.N.: As I said, I wrote like a crazy woman during the last days. It's probably because I can't wait to start the next part and we all want Hermione out. To make this happen sooner, we'll just have to read a bit faster, won't we?

Chapter 56: Voldemort's secret

It took one day for Bella to return to him, quivering with fear and from whatever that bastard Albus Dumbledore had done to her. On the outside, she looked unharmed, but in her eyes, Lord Voldemort could see that the old man had _almost_ broken her. But he hadn't and it wasn't for his lack of trying. Bella was a tough one. He had shaped her himself. Azkaban hadn't been able to break her, just made her stronger and more dangerous. Dumbledore hadn't stood a chance. Bella had been victorious and had gotten away, but only just. Still, he would ensure this experience only made her stronger, he would hate to dispose of her.

"I'm so sorry I disappointed you, Master," she sobbed, lying at his feet with eyes wide and desperate for his forgiveness. "That room was enormous and I searched it every night. But I couldn't find what you desired."

That was indeed unfortunate, but he had hidden away his Horcrux pretty well. He had chosen that room for a reason, not only because it was one of the best-kept secrets at Hogwarts but because searching for his Horcrux would be like looking for the needle in the haystack. Finding it was almost impossible. He couldn't really punish one of his most loyal followers because she could find something that wasn't _supposed_ to be found.

"Your stay at the castle was unfortunately cut short by those bothersome twins," he said forgivingly. "It is a pity you could not kill them, but that will be remedied, soon. Do not worry."

Bella looked at him with wide, pleading eyes. "Please Master, I deserve to be punished for my failure. I disappointed you…"

"I am disappointed," he admitted, even though the usual anger was absent. Soon, the Open Link would be his and that was everything he could focus on right now. His emotional control was something he was growing to appreciate more and more.

"But I will not punish you, not today."

The woman at his feet sobbed in despair at the thought of not being suitably punished immediately or at all.

"Please Master, I do deserve to be punished," She said, her grey eyes full of unsated desire. Bellatrix Lestrange was best described as an untamed fire and raging storm combined in a pretty shell. While her looks may have faded with her imprisonment that fire was still alive and thriving. She had always been the most demanding of his followers but also his most devoted one.

He sighed. "Very well, Bella. You do deserve to be punished. Come here and kneel down."

He pointed his long white fingers to his feet and Bella hastily fell down on her knees, in front of him. Her hands grasped his outstretched hand tightly before pressing it to her cheek in desperation. "Yes master, thank you, master," she repeated, before letting go of him and staring at him in anticipation. He looked at her with a gentle smile playing at his lips. Finally he raised his wand and the woman at his feet stared at it in nervous anticipation. She could feel herself become aroused at the thought of his magic engulfing her in sweet pain. She had been denied his magic for so long, her wait was finally over. When his Crucio finally connected with her chest she happily collapsed at his feet with a moan that spoke of relief and fulfilment followed by her shrieks and cries of pain. To him, it sounded like music, a specific song he had not heard in years but one he knew very well.

That was the thing his Queen would have to learn sooner or later. Some of his followers required a firm hand, they even _requested_ it at times. So who was he to deny them what secretly made them stronger? Leading such a group of strong individuals did require a certain amount of dedication but soon enough he would make his lioness realize just that. She may even learn to enjoy inflicting their pain or, dare he hope, receiving it from him. His spine tingled at the possibilities.

Ssssssss

She was gone, Bellatrix Lestrange had disappeared right under his nose without him gaining the answers from her he sought out. He'd been in her head for hours, but her thoughts were like a gigantic maze of shifting walls with dangers lurking behind every corner. Only a mad person could build such mental defences, unstable and shifting like the person itself. Finding what he looked for would take him days, weeks probably but when he returned into the warded chamber he had left the unconscious witch in she was nowhere to be found. _How?_ He had put her in deep slumber she couldn't have recovered from on her own. It required a powerful wizard to lift the spell and no one at the castle would have been able to. So it couldn't have been Severus. The man had avoided him ever since the day of the Ministry and suddenly Albus could no longer be sure of the man's loyalty. Yes, he had been loyal to Lily and therefore her son, but now the boy-who-lived no longer seemed his sole focus. That made him difficult to judge and therefore dangerous. Under normal circumstances, Albus would have assumed that he had been to one helping his Death Eater comrade, but he wouldn't have been able to, for the simple lack of magical power. There was only one living person able to break Albus' carefully crafted spell, Tom Riddle. The man had bested him again. Had he been at the castle, too? But no, that would have meant leaving the Open Link behind and if the madman had grasped the importance of the girl, he would have never done that. So how had she been able to escape?

He didn't have time looking for the answer, as he suddenly felt the presence of several wizards through the wards. They weren't attacking the wards but as they were ministry officials he equally disapproved of their presence as if they had done so. What did those bureaucrats want at Hogwarts? Well, he told himself summoning his phoenix, he'd soon find out.

Ssssssss

"Bellatrix Lestrange has gotten away," Hermione said, putting the Daily Prophet aside and staring down at her untouched breakfast. Somehow she had just lost her appetite… again. Those last week's hadn't done anything for her curves, as she sometimes didn't feel like eating at all, no matter what food the house-elves prepared for her. "How?"

"Getting out of Hogwarts has never been difficult," Voldemort explained while casually sipping his tea. "Getting in is the problem. I was prepared for Bellatrix getting caught, which is the reason why I gave her a very special portkey that would return her right back to us. I had to activate it but luckily Severus had the foresight to inform me of her capture right away."

"I see," she replied, staring down at the newspaper. Finally, the wizarding world realized that Hermione Granger had never returned to Hogwarts, even though she _had_ written her exams at the Ministry. Her magical signature was on her exam papers and proved that it had been her and no one else who wrote them. No one would be able to deny Hermione her OWLs, Voldemort had made sure of that.

"I thought about your words," Voldemort said after he had gently put down his cup of tea. "As my future queen, you deserve a certain amount of trust from my side. We need to get to know each other, to be able to build a trustful relationship, because that is what I want. This is why I decided that it is time to let you in on one of my biggest secrets, a secret I've told no one, so far. Is that something that would appeal to you?"

Hermione thought fast. Maybe such a secret would help them to win the war. But she was pretty sure he would want something in return from her, something she probably was not willing to give. Still, knowledge was a weapon, probably the most effective one against such an enemy as him. Therefore the decision was easy. "I'd love to finally be able to trust you, Marvolo." she replied, using his given name deliberately. "But it is not easy for me, you see? You're a very dangerous man and I do barely know you."

He smiled understandingly. "I'd like to change that Hermione, I really do." His words sounded almost sincere and if Hermione hadn't felt a wrongness echoing back in her mind she might have even fallen for them. Still, she forced herself to send him a shy smile.

"Then change it," she said. "Tell me something about you, something nobody knows."

His eyes focussed on her hungrily, his smile morphing to something much more unsettling. Hermione's heart started beating agitatedly and it wasn't from excitement. She squashed the feeling down and pulled her Occlumency walls in place. Then she raised her chin and waited.

Voldemort took his time, as he first let his eyes lazily roam her body. Finally he said: "I cannot be killed. When I was your age, I found a way to protect myself, which is why I was able to come back a year ago."

Hermione stared at him speechlessly for a moment, before she shook his head with a disbelieving smile. "Everybody can be killed," she said, her eyes furrowed. "Especially when one has made as many enemies as you. To every spell, there's a counter spell and even goblin-made artefacts can be destroyed. So whatever you did might make you harder to kill, but not impossible." She said assured in her logic.

For a moment she asked herself if it had been the wrong thing to say, as there was a strange flicker behind his eyes. But then he started shaking his head with a small smile playing at his lips. "Have you ever heard of the term Horcrux, my Dear?"

Hermione furrowed her brows. "No, I don't think I have. What is it, some kind of artefact?"

"No. A Horcrux can be anything, an item but also a living being, which is made a container for a part of your soul. As long as said container exists, it is impossible to be killed, as part of your soul always lives on and can be used to bring the rest of you back."

She froze. This was bad, really really bad. "So you made a Horcrux," she replied, keeping her voice calm and unimpressed. "That still means you can be killed once it is found and destroyed right? All it takes is one traitor among your followers or…"

But she didn't get any further, as he interrupted her with an arrogant smile.

"One of my Horcruxes has in fact been destroyed, by no other than your friend Harry Potter I believe. Luckily I decided to make more than one…"

That didn't make sense. Shouldn't Harry have known that he had destroyed a part of Voldemort's soul? He hadn't destroyed anything other than…

"The Diary," she gasped, staring at him with wild eyes. "The thing that opened the Chamber of Secrets and almost killed…" First, she wanted to say Ginny, but she realized that this wouldn't have meant anything to him. And so she said "me" instead. "Merlin, I always asked myself what it was but back then I was just in my second year and had no idea."

Voldemort nodded. "My younger self found that storing part of my soul in my diary was a good idea. I did get more creative over the years though." Suddenly his snake was at his side and he stroked her scaly head lovingly. It only took a moment for Hermione to connect the dots. "Merlin, she's a Horcrux, too…"

He didn't deny it, just kept smiling at her encouragingly. "She is. And it has brought us so much closer."

The snake at his side hissed and somehow it sounded like a confirmation. If a part of Voldemort's soul lived in her, did that mean he could control her? Could he maybe even look through her eyes? But then there was another thought and it chilled her to the bone: _Harry_. Was it possible that he was a Horcrux, too? But how? She took a deep breath before she forced herself to get up and walk towards him and the snake. It probably was a horrible idea but she _had to know_. Voldemort's red eyes followed her when she sank to her knees next to him and the snake. His gaze was almost burning her when her hand stretched out to touch the creature's neck with hesitant fingers.

"Can you look through her eyes?" Hermione asked, seeking out Nagini's yellow intelligent eyes with her own. "Can you feel that?" she continued, slowly stroking the dry scales as she spoke.

"Indeed, I can." The man next to her replied while the snake seemed to press herself more firmly against her hand like it was seeking out her touch. It probably was, or was it Voldemort himself? Hermione shuddered internally, feeling suddenly sick at the implications. Merlin, that snake had rested in her lap and she had touched it countless times. Was the part of Voldemort's soul the reason that animal sought her out over and over again? "I can even control her if that's what I wish." He said as his eyes became almost half lidded as she continued to touch Nagini.

So he had been the one attacking Mr Weasley, Hermione thought while locking all her agitated feelings behind her Occlumency walls tightly. She could not allow herself to make a mistake now, not when she was finally getting somewhere. "That's… incredible." She said, slowly pulling her hand away from the snake. Her words earned her a pleased smile that was tinged with something she did not want to acknowledge.

"It is. One day I'll show you how to do it, how to store part of your soul somewhere else. Then we can reign this world forever."

His words made her body break out into shivers. That would be her worst nightmare, she realized, because then not even death would be able to free her from this man. "Maybe, one day." She forced herself to say with a small smile. "But first there's so much else I'd like you to teach me. What about Animagus transformation? Have you ever figured out how to do that?"

Voldemort looked at her, his eyes glowing with amusement. "Child's play," he said, offering her his bony hand. "But if that is something you desire to learn, then I will teach you."

Hermione sighed in relief, before putting her hand into his and pulling herself to her feet. The distraction had worked, for now. "I'd love to learn it," she admitted truthfully and smiled.

He smiled back wolfishly. "And learn you will."

Ssssssss

The school year was over and somehow Gryffindor had won the house cup again. Their little stunt had earned Gryffindor a hundred house points from the Headmaster and a mention at the Daily Prophet this morning and fortunately their mum had so far refrained from letting them know her opinion on the matter. But they were sure it was only a matter of time until that would change.

"I'll miss Hogwarts," George said, once they had retreated into the silence of their room at Grimmauld Place. For some reason, their parents had decided to move to the Headquarter again but for once the twins were more than happy about that decision. They really needed to talk to Sirius and not just about the books he had given them.

"Of course you do. We've done some of our greatest pranks there…" Fred replied, the grin on his face showing that he was only half-serious.

George punched his brother's arm playfully. "You know it isn't just about that. Don't get me wrong, I love the Burrow…"

"...but Hogwarts has been as much of a home to us, I know," Fred said, squeezing his brother's shoulder. "We'll find us another home, one that is as safe and full of laughter and wild experiments. What do you think?"

"Love the idea, twin 'o' mine. We'll ask Bill about the warding. I want it to be a safe place for us and Hermione once she's out. I really hope she still wants us. I bet she's going through a lot," George said, his voice heavy.

Fred nodded grimly. "I bet she is. But look at it like this. She'll need lots of fun in laughter in her life, don't you think? And who's better suited for that than the two of us? We'll make her forget what she's been through."

"I'm not sure what it is she'll need," George said, rubbing his forehead tiredly. He could feel himself getting sleepy and he realized that he was ready for the day to end. "But I'm determined to try giving it to her. She's the one for us, Freddie. She's our witch."

"I know. But before we can try convincing her of that, we need her back with us first. Do you think Snape will be able to find her with that tracking charm?" Fred's voice was doubtful, but George did have much more confidence and trust in their former potions professor. The man had saved him from being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange after all.

"As soon as she leaves that damned wards he'll know. The question is if he'll contact us to ask for help," he said with a sigh.

"Let's hope he does because I have the feeling he'll need all the help he can get."

Sssssssss

Once again Hermione was in the library while Voldemort was somewhere else. Good, because today she was on a mission. If there was a place where she could find something about Horcruxes then it was here. Creating them most likely involved the darkest kinds of magic, magic that she probably wouldn't be able to find anything about at the Hogwarts library. But Voldemort was a collector, his secret artefact collection and the thousands of newspapers proved as much, which made her believe that he would have kept at least one book dealing with the kind of magic that made him close to immortal.

If she could find the way a Horcrux was created, then there might also be a hint on how to localize or even destroy them. Destroying the diary hadn't been easy going by the things Harry had told her. _Harry…_ thinking of her friend made her heart ache. Could it be that he was a Horcrux, too? That would explain the visions he had and also those strange mood changes he experienced. And he had _told _them that he had part of Voldemort's soul living inside him. That sounded pretty much like the definition of a Horcrux Voldemort had given her. Did that mean that the bastard couldn't die as long as Harry was alive? They couldn't just kill Harry, to beat the man, could they?

The questions kept piling up in her head, as she roamed the many bookshelves. Somewhere here there had to be found the answers to at least some of them.

Part of her consciousness registered another person entering the library and without lifting her had she somehow knew that it was Eric. She had listened to his cautious steps and murmurs the other day and it wasn't difficult to tell them apart from Voldemort's. Why did they always meet in the library? He never ate dinner with them or walked the corridors of the house. Why?

From the corner of her eye, she saw him hastening to the back of the room, where the desks were located. At first, she decided to leave him in peace, as he didn't seem keen on her company anyway but after half an hours of fruitless search she decided to at least try talking to him. And so she carefully strode closer.

He didn't seem to hear her, as he was crouched over some kind of plan. When Hermione managed to take a quick look at it, she felt her heart stutter.

"Why are you studying the warding scheme of Hogwarts?" she asked, her brows furrowed in concentration. Immediately his head shot up, while his hands hastily hid the parchment in front of him.

"That's none of your business," he said curtly, looking at her with stormy grey eyes. They reminded her a little of Malfoy's eyes, but only just.

"You're too nosy for your own good," he said darkly.

She shrugged. "Probably. It saved my life more than once. So? Why do you have it?" She wouldn't let go of this, because somehow she had the feeling that this was important.

Hermione stared at him unblinkingly and for a while, he simply held eye contact without moving a muscle. Finally, he seemed to have made a decision, as he tore away from her eyes with an annoyed huff. "He wants me to find a way through the wards, tasked me with it months ago. But it's difficult."

She furrowed her brows. "Why would he let a prisoner do that for him? He's a skilled and powerful wizard."

"But not a ward breaker," Eric said with a shrug. "And now leave me in peace, I have work to do."

He was a ward breaker? Well, if he was good enough to be tasked with breaking into Hogwarts he had to be a good one, which could explain why Voldemort still kept him around. And he couldn't very well hire a ward breaker for that kind of job, could he? She guessed having one as a prisoner at least assured that he couldn't easily betray his secrets. Hermione shuddered. She more and more started thinking like him and the realization scared her. But then another thought crossed her mind.

"If you're a ward breaker, why are you still here? You could have broken through the wards of the house, or not?"

He looked at her with a humourless smile. "I did break through once. Those first wards are not a problem, but it's impossible to apparate from the large forest behind. The werewolves got me before I could even make it close to the border of the anti-apparition wards. By the time I was back at the house, I almost wished that beasts had killed me."

Hermione nodded in understanding. She could imagine that Voldemort hadn't reacted kindly to the man's attempted escape. If even a ward breaker couldn't find a way out, how was she ever to manage it?

"Is there anything else? Or will you finally let me work in peace?" the man asked, already turning his back on her. Hermione huffed at his unfriendliness, but it didn't drive her away. She had befriended Severus Snape and he wasn't the most sociable man either. She'd have to go about it slowly though.

"Alright, I'm going," she said, turning around with a small smile on her lips. Her reading list had just grown by another inch. There had to be a way to mask one's scent against werewolves, she was sure to have read something like that when Severus had them researching werewolves during their third year at Hogwarts. If she found a way to do it, she could maybe convince him to try breaking out again. They only had to make it to the edge of the forest, after all, and there had to be ways to help them achieve just that.


	57. Chapter 57

A.N.: Hello my friends, here we go again. As you all want Hermione out as fast as possible, I decided to switch to daily updates, if my schedule allows it. I hope you approve of that idea. We're getting closer, I promise. ;-)

Chapter 57: Desperate measures

Severus' time was up, the potion for the Dark Lord was finally finished. He didn't want to give it to him, didn't want that bastard to regain his old looks and charisma. He was dangerous enough as it was without having to give him more ways to succeed. But once again Severus was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He needed to stay in the man's good graces if he ever wanted to get Hermione out of this hell-hole. Faking failure in the brewing process would only get him tortured or killed, which usually would have been preferable to giving that man even more power, but considering the circumstances, it was not. Hermione needed him. What she _didn't_ need was a younger version of Tom Riddle, the man that had charmed half of Hogwarts and won over almost all the pureblood aristocracy.

There was no right choice for him right now, only wrong ones, but that didn't make the path he had to take any easier.

Still, he had spent every spare minute to perfect the tracking charm on Hermione. He could now trace their mental connection back to her, could apparate to her once she was outside of wards preventing just that. Next time that happened he would get her, no matter the costs. He needed to get her away from that bastard, needed to know she was safe, even if that meant duelling the bastard until his cold corpse was gracing the floor. It didn't matter. Hermione was more important than his pitiful existence and she had two loyal, smitten Gryffindor's just waiting for her to return to them.

With a sigh, he pocketed the small phial containing a thick, black potion and activated his Dark Mark, before leaving his chambers to make his way to the apparition point. When he arrived at the Dark Lords residence it was dawn. The man was already waiting for him in his throne room, eyes glowing red with anticipation.

"Ah, Severus. I have looked forward to your return to my side. Do you have the potion?"

He nodded. "Of course, my Lord." Severus carefully took the potion out, handing it over to his master. "I recommend drinking it under my supervision. Your body might be weak, right after the transformation, as it needs to get used to the shift of age and structure first. The weakness will fade in a matter of hours, but you might feel the need to take a strengthening potion."

His words earned Severus a patronizing smile from his master. "You have earned yourself the privilege of staying at my side, my faithful servant. You might stay and witness the restoration of my former body."

Severus nodded and watched the man uncorking the phial before he drowned the content without hesitation. He could have easily poisoned him, Severus realized, but if the man really had made Horcruxes, it would not have meant his end. As ist was, the man was indestructible, at least until they had found a way to change that.

His master's reaction to the potion was immediate. There was a surprised gasp from him and a clatter, as the empty phial fell out of his hands, to the floor. Then his body sagged forward, a groan escaping his mouth as the first locks of black hair were growing on his formerly bare head. The whole transformation took about five minutes and Severus could not help watching it with growing fascination and horror. In the end, it took all his willpower not to let his feelings of dismay show on his face, because the man now standing in front of him looked like a young version of the Dark Lord Severus had met more than twenty years ago. Back then the man had already been older than Severus was now so he had never met this younger even more charismatic version of his master. The man in front of him was probably in his twenties and looked like he had just climbed out of a magazine of Witch Weekly. He was the sort of dark mysterious man the witches fell for: dark eyes, aristocratic nose and a charismatic smile on his now soft red lips. His hair was black, short and wavy while his skin was still pale it no longer looked an unhealthy white.

Merlin, what had he done? How was Hermione supposed to look behind that handsome facade and still see the monster this man really was?

"You did very well, Severus," his master's voice praised him while admiring his hands and strong arms. A pleased smile was playing around his lips. "You are truly a master of potions, there is no doubt of that, my friend."

Severus nodded but he barely heard the words. "Thank you, master," he said, his voice even like it always was. "Do you feel any discomfort I can assist you with, my Lord?"

"None," the other man replied, his smile wide. "It is truly a remarkable potion you created. Be assured that you will be rewarded for it."

The potions master bowed deeply. "My Lord is very generous."

His master waved him off. "Indeed. Leave me alone now, Severus. I do have some urgent business I need to attend to."

He could imagine what urgent business that was - _Hermione_. But there was nothing he could do for her, at least not right now.

Ssssssss

His servant had barely left the room when Lord Voldemort pulled himself to his feet and studied his new appearance in a mirror he hastily transfigured out of the empty potions bottle on the floor. It was like he had truly turned the time back to the point, where he had made his fourth Horcrux.

He made himself up to find his lioness after he had transfigured his clothes into something more fitting for his new looks. Nowadays she spent most of her time at the library, caressing his books with her soft fingers while soaking in all the knowledge she could find. They were so similar to each other in their thirst for knowledge that it was dazzling him sometimes. He could feel that his prize respected, sometimes even admired him and since he had told her his secret it had felt like she was finally starting to open up to him. Still, he could feel her emotional distance, even though she more and more sought out his presence to ask his opinion of a charm or indulge him in an intellectual discussion about some topic that had caught her interest.

Usually it was transfiguration or charms, topics he had excelled at but never had put his sole focus on, as he had always been more interested in the Dark Arts and rituals. Still, he found their conversations stimulating enough and gladly satisfied his lioness' curiosity as it brought her closer to him.

Like expected she found her at the library, lounging on one of the window sills, her feet propped up in front of her supporting another old book from his collection. Today she was studying shielding techniques, maybe she would ask him for another duelling lesson, soon.

At first, she didn't hear him approaching, as she was totally absorbed by her reading material. Only when he was standing almost next to her did her eyes shoot up, studying him from head to toe with a confused gleam in them.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she asked, closing the book on her lap with a loud snap. "Your master's downstairs, in case you're looking for him."

He looked at her with an amused smile. She didn't recognize him, of course she didn't. She had always known him as something that was barely even recognizable as a wizard. He couldn't blame her for not immediately making the connection to the handsome wizard now standing in front of her.

"Actually I was looking for you, my Dear. I wanted to show you your holiday surprise." He said, his voice back to the deep baritone it once was. For a moment she just stared at him open-mouthed, before her brows drew together in confusion.

"You drank the potion," she concluded, her rapidly moving eyes showing that she was trying to connect the dots.

He nodded. "I did. Do you like the result?"

His lioness shrugged, confusion still evident on her face. "Why did you need a potion to change your appearance? I've seen you cast glamours at yourself, which were quite effective."

He smiled. "But they were just that, a glamour. This body is real, though. Severus managed to brew a potion to restore my old body in a rejuvenated form. The change is permanent my Dear."

Her eyes widened before they once more took in his changed appearance. He felt them ghost over his prominent cheekbones, his now full lips and seek out his now dark green eyes. But instead of fascination or appeal, he saw dismay and fright growing in them before his queen suddenly backed away from him in horror.

"I need to go," she said, panic evident in her voice. But when she tried retreating any further she realized that there was the window frame right behind her, blocking her exit. There was nowhere for her to go, except past him, which was a good thing, because he needed to understand her reaction. His appearance was flawless, he checked it before entering the room. So why was she suddenly afraid of him? She had never even shorn an inch of fear in his presence, not even at the beginning of their acquaintance.

"I'd like you to stay Hermione," he said, taking a careful step into her direction, while his eyes focussed her with the most charismatic gaze he could muster. It was the gaze that had charmed Hepzibah Smith and countless other women but the only effect it had was his lioness pressing herself into the wall and closing her eyes in panic.

"Please let me go," she begged him, her voice quivering. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was to be pleased by his change of appearance, but she wasn't, not in the slightest.

"There is no reason to be afraid of me," he said, taking another step before his hand gently took her chin to lift her head up. "I'm still the same man and I hope you know I'd never hurt you."

He felt the slightest of nods against his hand, even though he could feel her body stiffen in front of him. "So tell me, what is wrong? What are you afraid of?" His voice was a soft purr, delivered right into her left ear and he could feel her shudder while goosebumps spread over her skin originating from her neck. And suddenly he wasn't so sure if she was shivering in fear or arousal.

"I…" she started, her voice only a hoarse whisper. But then she seemed to have changed her mind and snapped her mouth shut, before furiously shaking her head. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at him with small pupils. "Please let me go, I can't, I just can't…" she stuttered, tears springing in her eyes. And that was what finally made him stop. Right now he was only making it worse, whatever _it _was, and the last thing he wanted was his queen being afraid of him. And so he let go of her chin and took a big step back from her.

"Alright, go then. But I would like to talk to you in the morning, as soon as you're feeling better. We need to plan our holiday, after all." He said mechanically.

She nodded mutely before she hastened past him and out of the room. He followed her with a confused expression but as soon as the library door closed his fist connected with the wall in front of him while an angry curse escaped his lips. This wasn't how this meeting was supposed to go.

He kept himself in place as his hand retracted from the wall where a small impression was made by his fist. A flick of his wand and all was as it should be. His eyes never left the door that his Queen had all but run out of. He wanted nothing more than to go after her and find out why she had reacted in such a way to him. Why did he illicit such terror?

He forced himself to stay in place as he thought of how things quickly went pear shaped. She had not been moved by his sudden appearance at first. She had treated him as a follower she did not know. Then when he told her who he was she still remained unaffected thinking it had been another glamour. But when he had told her it was now his permanent form her entire demeanour had changed. So clearly it was not his looks but rather that he was now like this permanently.

Could it be that she liked him as he was? No, it seemed highly unlikely. Did she want him to look a different way? Possibly. Did this look affect her? Definitely but he did not know how. He would wait to speak to her and then form a plan. For now he had to prepare himself for the morning.

Sssssss

Severus had barely returned to the grounds of Hogwarts, before his bond to Hermione flared alive, projecting the feeling of pure terror from Hermione's side. Never before he had felt her emotions this clear through the link, which could only mean that something drastic had happened, to make her reach out for him like this. Merlin, what was that bastard doing to her now that he had regained his old body? Was he forcing himself on her? Merlin what had he done brewing that blasted potion?

With a curse on his lips he hastened towards his rooms while his mind discarded one reckless plan after the other. Still something needed to be done because whatever happened to Hermione right now was partly his fault.

Ssssssss

Hermione closed the door to her room behind her with a loud bang before she hectically started going through the things in her room. She needed to get out of this place, now, needed to get away from that dangerous man now wearing an angel's face. Until today she had always been able to distance herself from that man and see him as the monster he was as his appearance kept reminding her of that. But not any longer.

It wasn't long ago that she had looked down at those Death Eaters and asked herself how they had fallen for such a monster and decided to follow him into this madness. Only she had forgotten that Tom Riddle hadn't always been like this, his features blurred into a grotesque caricature of a snake-man, eyes red and gleaming with madness and cruelty. Once he had been a handsome, charismatic man, a driven and intelligent student like herself. How would she have reacted to him had they visited Hogwarts at the same time? She could see herself discussing magical theory with that man and admiring him from afar. From what Harry had told her he had been a popular student, Headboy even. Hermione realized that she could have fallen for him too. He wasn't only dashingly good-looking and charming but from experience she also knew that he was an intellectual conversationalist with a brilliant mind and lots of magical skill. What would happen to her animosity towards him, once he focussed all his attention on her now? What would happen if he really took her to Paris as he had promised her he would? The man wanted to make her his Queen for god's sake and even though she had always known what that would be implying she suddenly realized that he really _meant_ it. Why else would he have decided to change his appearance this drastically?

Hermione shivered as more thoughts assaulted her mind. She could still feel where he had touched her and she remembered how weak her knees suddenly had felt. No, she could not stay here, could not risk falling for him in a weak moment. There was too much at stake. She was the Open Link which was why he had captured her in the first place. He wanted to gain access to her magic, to become even more powerful than he already was and only God knew what would happen to the world she knew if he ever managed that. There would be no stopping him then.

With a frantic motion she yanked the drawer of her bedside table open, before taking out the book on warding she had taken from the library weeks ago. She threw herself on her bed before she hastily started re-reading and memorizing the paragraphs she had found helpful back then. It probably wouldn't be enough to break through but she had to at least try. If she wasn't managing today, then maybe tomorrow or in a week. But she would try, she should have tried breaking out long ago instead of hoping that someone came for her. But she could not rely on others to rescue her from that monster, she had to do so herself.

Making a quick decision she hastened towards Rita's tank, yanking the lid open and staring inside. The little beetle was sitting on a fresh piece of wood, which had been delivered by the eager house-elves.

"Rita," she said, her voice hushed. "I'm leaving this place, well at least I'm trying to. You should try getting away too. Unfortunately, I don't know how to get past the wards as one needs a Dark Mark or physical contact with Voldemort to get past them. I have to try anyway, I can't stay here any longer and you shouldn't either."

The little beetle hastened towards the opening, it's little wings buzzing eagerly. Hermione nodded in satisfaction. "I hope you find a way out. Good luck," she said, before turning around and hurrying through the door, without looking back. Rita was clever, she would find a way out.

It was almost midnight when she left her room, her body clad in a black jacket and trousers she had transfigured for herself. Her steps were silenced with a charm, her body disillusioned. Voldemort would probably still be able to tell once she reached the wards, but at least she hoped that staying undetected until then would buy her some time if nothing else.

The house was silent and dark, but it usually was at night. There were no nightly Death Eater meetings like she had expected there would be.

She left the front door behind after only a few minutes and as soon as her feet touched the soft grass, she started running towards the forest. From her last trip outside she knew that the wards were about 600 to 700 metres into the forest and she wanted to reach them as soon as possible.

She could never be sure if someone followed her, but she avoided looking back, as it would only distract her from her goal. If Voldemort was aware of her attempt to escape he would catch her no matter if she saw him coming.

Quickly she left the light of the moon behind, as the trees seemed to block it out almost completely until there was nothing but darkness left. She didn't dare to light her wand though as the light would be seen from a distance and she didn't want it to give her away. Still, her steps slowed down until she could only carefully creep towards the direction she had decided on before. But it was more stumbling than walking.

How much farther could it be?

She walked on for some more minutes before she was almost she to have reached the wards. At least she was sure that she was deep enough in the forest to stop and take out her wand, to cast some analytic charms. But she had barely halted her steps when suddenly a hand appeared from the darkness and pulled her back.

"What do you think you're doing?" a voice hissed from behind and with relief, she realized that it belonged to Eric and not Voldemort so she stopped struggling. Still, his grip on her shoulder was painfully tight so she tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

"What does it look like? I'm leaving this place!" she gritted out before finally freeing herself from him.

"No, you're killing yourself, that's what you're doing," he replied, his cold, grey eyes looking at her dispassionately and incredulity. "The wards are right there." He pointed to a spot about one metre in front of her. "You'd nearly have touched them and that would have been that."

"I can't stay here for a day longer, alright? I can't!" she stated passionately, before gripping her wand. "I'd rather die trying to escape than go back." She knew she sounded crazy or like a moody teenager but she didn't care. She should have tried leaving that place long ago but she hadn't even tried. Now however things had changed and she could no longer trust herself.

He looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Why? What happened? You seemed content a few days ago. What changed? Did he hurt you?" Eric asked, analyzing her with his gaze that was a little too piercing.

She sighed. "Does it even matter? I really don't have the time to discuss this right now. So either you help me, or you move aside," Hermione said gritting her teeth. But the man didn't move an inch.

"No," he said, his face unimpressed. "You're about to make a big mistake and I think you know it. Why do you think I'm still here? Because I didn't _try_? Is that what you're thinking?"

Hermione stared back at him with clenched teeth. "No, of course not. It's just…"

He stared at her expectantly and Hermione sighed, before continuing: "He changed himself, took a potion permanently returning him to his old body. He's…"

She gestured wildly. "Merlin, I had no idea that he had once been like that. I could never understand how so many people could join him but now… If I stay any longer I might do something I regret."

"Like what?" He asked, studying her with an intensity that she did not register in her addled state.

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I always knew that man was dangerous, I just never understood _how_ dangerous. He knows how to manipulate people and I'd rather not find out how much longer I can resist him. And now, move aside, I'm going."

Eric sighed. "You'll never make it like this," he said, shaking his head in exasperation. "You'll need a plan, a good plan if you want to manage to get away from him. I doubt you have a chance on your own."

Hermione stared at him, fire in her eyes. "Then help me!" she shouted and suddenly she felt the tears springing to her eyes. "_Pleas_e help me. We could make it out of here together. I know we could."

He shook his head. "Not today, not like this. If he catches me trying to escape again, he'll kill me. I know he will. So I only have one last try and I'd rather not butch it up."

She nodded tiredly. "What about tomorrow?"

Eric stared at her, his face an expressionless mask. "You weren't joking, you _really_ want to get out of here."

"I do," Hermione assured him, no longer hiding the desperation in her voice.

He sighed. "You'll be the death of me," he grumbled before nodding reluctantly. "Alright, tomorrow then. But I swear if you get me killed I'm coming to haunt you."

Hermione laughed even though his words weren't meant as a joke at all. Still, it was like a weight had been lifted from her heart. Tomorrow she would finally escape that place and no one would hold her back this time.


	58. Chapter 58

A.N.: Here we go, my friends. I hope you're still with me and the story. Please let me know if you still enjoy it. We're getting closer to the finale of part 2. Are you as excited as I am?

Chapter 58: Out of control

When Hermione returned to her room Rita was gone. For a moment she asked herself if it had been the right decision to let the woman go, as there was so saying if she finally learned her lesson. Probably not. But there were only two ways Hermione's attempted break out could go. If she got caught, Voldemort would want to punish her or teach her a lesson as he would probably phrase it. The animagus would have been an easy target in that case. The other option was that Hermione and Eric would be successful in running away. In that case, her keeper would be furious and Hermione did not want Rita to bear the brunt of his anger. Not even somebody like her was deserving of that fate.

One more day and Hermione would be out of that snake pit, or dead. One way or another her imprisonment would end, it had to. But for things to go smoothly she would have to survive another day in Tom Marvolo Riddle's presence because that was the side he would try to make her see now. He'd want to talk to her in the morning, would want to know what was wrong with her. Could she face him and lie? Could she make him believe that it was nothing, that she just had been overwhelmed while looking him into his no longer red eyes? He was still the same person, still the monster that had tortured Severus and ordered rape and murder of hundreds of innocents. That's what she learned, what had been _proved_, right? But that was not what she had seen, what she had experienced, in his presence. He had spared those auror's lives when she asked him to, had let her decide how to punish Rita Skeeter and Professor Umbridge. It was like there were two versions of him and slowly it was more and more difficult for her to remember that those two men were in fact the same person. But she had to remember, had to stay strong, at least for another day.

Strangely, she fell asleep quickly and had a restful night. It was like her body knew that tomorrow would be a hard day and she would need her whole energy to get out alive of this damned werewolf-filled forest. She'd heard of Fenrir Greyback and his pack and she could only pray that he would not find them on their way through the forest.

When she finally woke up in the morning, the sun was already up and Hermione felt well-rested. It was a good thing as she didn't know when she'd next have the possibility to lay down and close her eyes. She knew she would be able to as long as they were in that damned forest. But she had to push away all thoughts of breaking out for now or Voldemort would know. Her Occlumency walls needed to be firmly in place if she wanted to get through this day without doing something stupid or giving her plan away before she could act on them. And so she took some deep calming breaths before getting herself ready for the day.

Of course, Voldemort was waiting for her, when she made it down into the dining room. She hadn't expected anything else as he had for one exception always been there no matter what time she got up in the morning. Hermione had braced herself for his change in appearance but she could still feel her heart picking up speed when his now dark green eyes focussed on her and a small smile showed up on his face. Merlin, what was _wrong_ with her? It was months ago since she felt herself at her hormone's mercy like that. She didn't want to find that man attractive, but it was like her body didn't care what her head thought right now. Was it the Open Link that tried influencing her to forge a bond? Why did it flare up now? Ever since she had connected herself with Severus it had calmed somewhat down. So why now, Why him?

"Good morning Hermione," he greeted her. "Are you feeling better today?" His unasked question clear as day to her.

Hermione forced herself to look at him even though her heart was pounding heavily in her chest. She had to get a grip on herself and she needed to do so fast.

"I am sorry I ran away from you," she said, chewing on her bottom lip. "It's just…" Suddenly her mind was blank, all lies she had carefully prepared gone. She froze up, staring at him with an open mouth and wide eyes. Finally, she shook her head with a heavy sigh. "This is not working," she admitted, sitting down heavily in her chair. "It's like I suddenly find myself unable to concentrate in your presence. I don't even know what I wanted to say right now."

"And that's what scares you? Or is it the fact that you feel you're no longer in control?" he asked and suddenly he was on his feet walking towards her with slow measured steps as if he did not wish to frighten her. There was however something predatory in his gaze that made her skin prickle with nervousness. Her tummy clenched with unease and something else she did not want to think about.

"Both," she admitted silently, her voice shaking nonetheless. That only made the smile on his face widen.

"It's alright to be scared, from time to time. You know I would never hurt you, don't you?"

He was now in front of her, leaning casually against the table while focussing her with those dazzling eyes. This was wrong, this whole situation was so much out of her comfort zone that she hardly knew what to do. She barely had any experience with boys. Viktor had been sweet, shy and respectful towards her. The twins always treated her with a light heartedness that never made her feel like she was helpless or not in control of the situation. To all of them she had been an equal, which wasn't true for the man in front of her, no matter what he wanted to make her believe.

"Actually I don't. What if I tried running away? Or did something else to make you angry? Are you sure you wouldn't hurt me? You've hurt so many people before, don't even try to deny it."

His eyes calmly studied her and Hermione forced herself to not look away, even though all her instincts told her to run away.

"I'm not denying anything, my little lioness," he said in return. "I killed and I tortured and I wouldn't hesitate to do so again to protect what is mine or to achieve my goal. I want you to be mine Hermione. I want to protect you."

"Protect me from what? The only thing I'd need protection from is your Death Eaters," she said, slowly regaining some of her wit. "It was Bellatrix Lestrange who tried to kill me at the ministry and it was your Basilisk who tried it during my second year. I was lucky to only get petrified."

He sighed. "Both of that happened before you were under my protection. But this isn't just about protecting you because you don't really need my protection. You and I could be great together. We could change the world and make it a better place."

They had this discussion before but suddenly all the points she had collected in her head to her favour didn't seem to fit. They _could_ change the world together and coming from two different perspectives they had the potential to do great things. But only if they wanted the same and right now she was no longer sure what the man in front of her wanted.

"So is that what you want from me? To help you change the world?"

He smiled. "Right now I'd like to kiss you," he said and suddenly she saw his hand slowly reach for her. That was, what finally snapped her out of her stupor.

"No!" She yelled in panic and jumped to her feet before hastily walking towards the door. "I don't want you to. Hell, I just told you I don't trust you so why do you think I would be okay with you kissing me?" She didn't wait for his answer though and simply bolted from the room but before she could even touch the door knob his hands grabbed her arms and stopped her from getting to it.

His tall muscular body was not even touching her but she could _feel_ him. She felt like a small rabbit caught in the clutches of the big bad wolf. What was worse was the small part of her that _liked_ the feeling. What was _wrong_ with her?

"I apologize for being too forward with you my Dear," he said silkily in her ear but never touching it. She felt his heavy gaze on her and she willed herself not to move lest she anger him. He sighed.

"Let's continue to talk about it," he said in a persuasive tone that rang alarm bells in her head for the fact that it made her deliberate on her answer.

She shook her head unsteadily and she took a breath.

"I need to be alone," she whispered, too afraid to raise her voice more.

She could feel his eyes on the back of her head as he deliberated for a moment. When he sighed in resignation she could breathe again.

"Very well my dear," he said as he let her arms go slowly.

Hermione left quickly and did not look back until she was safely back in her room.

Ssssssss

Fred and George were just about to leave Grimmauld Place for a round of flat searching when they felt the pull of the sickle they had given to Snape. The man was calling them and there was no question if they would follow his call. They sent each other a quick look, before pulling out their wands and murmuring the words that would trigger the port keys to activate. A moment later they were gone.

Snape already waited for them, arms crossed in front of his chest and leaned against a table. He was not in an office though, the room looked more like it was underground and had been improvised rather spontaneously.

"Professor," they greeted him, unable to hide the tension in their voice. "What's wrong?" Fred continued. "How can we help?"

He looked at them with a serious expression, before motioning towards a large magical map, that had been set up at one of the rough stone walls.

"During my visit to the Ministry, I managed to mark Hermione with a tracking charm, as you know. I finally managed to connect the signal to a map, but unfortunately, it will only show up, once she leaves those damned wards, the Dark Lord set up around his house."

"Must be impressive wards then," George said, staring at the map in transfixion.

Their former Professor nodded. "Indeed. Only who is marked by the Dark Lord or in physical contact with him can pass, which makes it impossible for me to get her out of there. I do have the unmistakable feeling though, that there soon will be a change in Hermione's position."

"And when that happened we'll know through the map and we'll be ready to get her," George concluded with a satisfied nod. "Brilliant."

Snape looked at them with a serious expression. "I didn't mean for you to come with me. This might be a suicide mission and once the Dark Lord discovers I betrayed him he will be most determined to kill me." The professor's voice was calm, even though his eyes were full of steel. They had never seen him like that, as there was suddenly no doubt where his loyalties were.

Fred nodded. "I expect him to. But tell me Professor, who will get Hermione out if you get yourself killed while playing the Gryffindor?"

The man's face transformed into a sneer. "That's not what I'm doing," he spat. "Otherwise I'd have made a move a while ago. Recklessness won't help us here, but I fear just careful planning won't either. She is very well protected and no matter what we do, it will be dangerous."

"One more reason for you to not go alone," George said, looking around the room with a curious expression. "What is this place anyway?"

"We're in an abandoned mine close to my home," Snape replied evenly. "Don't worry, I warded and stabilized the room before I set everything up. We'll not be disturbed here." He sat down at the simple table that was set up in the middle of the room. "When the day comes I will not hold you back to come with me if that is what you wish to do. You're both of age and I respect the need to help somebody who's important to you. It is why we're all here."

The twins nodded. "Good. Because we'll come with you, no matter how dangerous. Going by what you said, we only have this one shot," Fred stated, his voice serious. "I don't want to ask myself in a few years if we could have gotten her out if we just would have gone with you."

Snape nodded. "I cannot promise you'll make it out alive. If saving Hermione implies leaving you behind, I will do that. And I expect you to do the same with me, understood?" He said making them understand the gravity of the decisions they had to make.

"We weren't expecting anything else," George said, his voice serious. "But tell me, if you didn't expect us to come with you, why did you call us here?"

At that Snape's lips twitched. "I need somebody to watch the map, while I try getting some hours of rest. I wanted to propose we take turns."

Fred and George looked at each other with a grin on their faces. "You want us to watch the map, while you're taking a nap? Not afraid of us testing our products on you?" Fred asked, his eyes glinting with humour. Snape looked back at them with an eye roll.

"I'll sleep at home, so don't get your hopes up," he replied dryly. "So what is it? Will you help?"

"Of course we will," George replied with a shrug. "There never was a question about that."

Ssssssss

The day seemed to go on for ages. Mostly Hermione was hiding in her room, refusing to go downstairs even though that was what she should have done. It made her feel like a coward and ask herself if her absence would make Voldemort suspicious or at least more watchful, but no matter how she put it, she could not bring herself to face that man again. In his presence she felt like she was prey and he was the predator, only that a little, irrational part of her brain wanted to be caught even if it was just to feel wanted and admired for once. No one had ever given her that much attention like he had in the last weeks. Her parents loved her but they always had lots of other things to do and as she was away for the most part of the year their relationship had weakened over time. Harry and Ron had always been best friends to each other and usually, when they had their differences, they supported each other instead of supporting her. Fred and George had only recently stepped into her life. They had wooed her, yes, but she had never been their sole focus and probably never would be as there was always the other twin or another experiment that also caught their attention. And then there was Severus… he had been there for her in her darkest hours and had helped her when she needed him. Still, he had always been in some way unapproachable and she couldn't help the feeling that he always held something back from her. Severus was a man of many secrets. He was serving not one but two masters while trying to be her friend and even that hadn't worked when there had been the first misunderstanding.

Voldemort on the other hand did not hold back his intentions and she had the feeling that all his attention was focussed on her. For once she was the sole focus of somebody's attention and a weak part of her enjoyed that. She enjoyed having him as her teacher with no other students for him to focus on. And there was no denying that the man was brilliant and able to do magic that never would be taught at Hogwarts and she didn't just mean dark spells. Those he had not taught her, only shown her how to counter them in case she met them in a duel. That alone could save her life, one day.

Still, she knew she needed to keep her distance no matter how loud the little voice in her head got, that told her to simply let go and open up to him. The bouquet of dark red roses that suddenly appeared on her nightstand around noon didn't help to silence it in the slightest. The only thing she could do was remembering Severus' words of warning, that Voldemort was a master manipulator. The knowledge that he was probably trying to do just that finally helped her to not open her door and leave her room before midnight arrived. She could only hope that the man was not staying up trying to confront her with her behaviour.

Voldemort was not there though when she crept down the stairs, neither did he try holding her back when she left the house through the front door. Eric was waiting for her at the edge of the forest, hiding his platinum blonde hair under a black hooded robe.

"There you are," he said, staring at her with an analyzing gaze. "Are you sure that this is what you want to do? There is still time to go back to the house," he said in a tone she could not place.

Hermione nodded. "I am sure. Let's go."

The other wizard nodded before he started walking into the forest, not looking back towards her. "Once we've passed the wards he'll know what we have done. It will be a matter of minutes until he'll come searching for us," he warned while keeping a quick pace.

Hermione nodded. "I know and I thought about that. As we cannot apparate, he also shouldn't be able to. We'll disillusion and silence ourselves before passing the wards. I also found a neat little spell to mask our scent which should protect us from the werewolves. When we avoid walking in a straight line from where we passed the wards, it should be hard for him to find us, don't you think?"

Eric grumbled something as a reply that she did not catch. It sounded like he was agreeing with her but she couldn't be totally sure. She had to trust him in this matter as he was the more experienced wizard and he had already attempted breaking out of this golden cage.

Her companion didn't seem to need light to find his way through the forest, as he didn't slow down his steps, even though Hermione was barely able to see the ground in front of her any longer. She more or less followed the sound of his steps until he suddenly halted and she nearly ran into him.

"Alright," he said turning around and looking at her with a calmness she didn't feel at all. "The wards are only a few steps away. You'll take my left hand after casting your protection charms and I cast mine. I'll need my right hand for casting afterwards and I need you to stay as still as possible. When I'm finished, I'll pull you along through the wards. As soon as we're through we'll start running. We'll follow the path alongside the wards to the right side, as this is hopefully where he'll expect us the least."

Hermione nodded mutely while chewing her lip in the process out of nervousness. "I'm not a very fast runner," she admitted. "But I'll do my best to keep pace."

His lips twitched into a small, humourless smile. "I'm sure you will. You know what is at stake. And now come, there's no time to dawdle."

In a fluent motion, he silently disillusioned himself and Hermione hastily followed his example. As soon as she was finished she tried finding his hand and after a few seconds of awkward groping she finally managed to do so. After a moment nothing happened, but then he carefully pulled her against him before she could feel him moving as he started casting. She couldn't hear the words but she felt the hum of energy in the air around her. Then, suddenly, it was gone and she was yanked forwards by her arm. Even though she had expected it she still stumbled slightly. Finally she caught herself and started running, following her new ally through the wards. They had made it through the wards without any complications. Hermione could have cried with relief if she had any time to do so. Even though there was still a lot of danger ahead of them, she was finally out of Voldemort's control.

Ssssss


	59. Chapter 59

A.N.: We're only three chapters away from the end of part two. Isn't that cool? I'm so proud we made it this far! This is the longest story I ever wrote and it was never planned to get that long. But I do enjoy telling the story from various POV's which is what adds lots of details but also lets this thing grooooow. Thanks for all your comments and also the speculations about what's going to happen. They help me think and usually they make me smile. I'm always looking forward to them.

Chapter 59: Runaway girl

Hermione ran for her life, the impact of her steps resonating through her whole body as she tried to keep pace with the man that had helped her pass the wards Voldemort had erected around his home. After not even five minutes Hermione wished she hadn't neglected physical exercising for years and years just to have more time for studying. Her lungs burned with every breath she took while her legs felt wobblier with every step she made. But she could not allow herself to slow down, not when Voldemort or his followers could be right behind them. For now, the forest around them stayed quiet though, but that didn't help to calm her nerves and only made her more paranoid instead. The man could be anywhere, without them hearing or seeing him, right? Would he suddenly appear in front of them, cutting off their way? After ten minutes of running, she could feel herself slowing down, her feet getting heavier by the minute. Eric tried dragging her along with the effect of her suddenly stumbling and crashing to the ground. One of her knees connected with a small rock, making her yelp in pain. But the sound was muffled through the charms she had cast on herself.

She needed to get up, start running again. They were only ten minutes into fleeing from that damned place and she was already proving herself to be a hindrance to the man that had so kindly taken her along with him. With a groan she stumbled to her feet, hectically searching for her ally. For a short moment, she feared he had abandoned her because she already slowed him down, but then she found his solid chest with her shaking fingers. He was still there, thank Merlin!

A moment later she could feel his steadying hands on her shoulders. Then she could feel him step closer until he was directly in front of her so that he entered the field of the silencing charm she had cast around her. She could not see him, but she could feel his breath tickling her cheek as he spoke. "That's far enough to the right side, I hope. We'll move away from the wards now, not in a straight line, that's too predictable," he murmured calmly, not sounding out of breath like she was. "You'll take my hand again and I'll lead us as good as I can. No more running, just walking."

Hermione nodded before she remembered that he would not be able to see. "Alright," she whispered instead, wheezing for air. "I'm so sorry I'm slowing you down."

She wished she would be able to see his face because now she only had his voice to judge his mood. It sounded calm when he replied. "This is not about being fast or slow. We need to be careful before everything else. Werewolves are no mindless beast if there's not a full moon which is not the case. Still, they might be able to feel our steps on the ground, if we keep running. Therefore I think walking slow and careful is safer for us, even if that means staying longer in that damned forest."

His words made sense. "That's alright," she said, slowly regaining some of her breath. "I'll do as you say. I trust you." Hermione realized it was the truth. She barely knew that stranger and had trusted him with her life nonetheless.

He didn't say anything to that and again she wished, she could have seen his face. Had she made him uncomfortable with her words? Or did they leave him untouched?

"Come along then," he said and his left hand wandered from her shoulder, along her arm to her hand, which he gripped tightly. "We need to get further into the forest before we can allow ourselves to rest."

She had no chance to answer, as he quickly left the bubble of her silencing charm and started moving again. This time he only moved slowly, like he had suggested earlier and Hermione was glad, as her knee still throbbed in pain and she limped awkwardly at his side. It didn't take him long to notice it.

"You're hurt," he said, entering her personal space again, a strange undertone in his voice. "You should have told me. Sit down."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said regretfully. "I didn't want to be a bother," she admitted, sitting down on the cold floor. She could feel him down next to her before she felt him take her hand once more.

"Show me where," he ordered calmly and without hesitation, she led his hand to her throbbing knee. She realized that she must have cut herself, as her trousers were already starting to get soaked with her blood. She heard him curse.

"We need to clean this off, immediately. Otherwise, the werewolves will be here in a matter of minutes," he mumbled, annoyance clearly detectable from his voice.

Merlin, she really was an idiot. Hermione could feel his magic wash over her, cleaning away every bit of blood from her skin and clothes, before it healed her knee, only leaving a soft tingling where before there had only been pain. Without the help of this stranger, she would have already fucked this up, _twice_. If he managed to get them out, she owed him big time. Would she ever be able to pay him back?

"Alright, get up. We finally need to move, or this little expedition is over very fast," he said coolly. Hermione scrambled to her feet, her hand hastily searching for his. As soon as she found it, she could feel herself start calming down. Somehow this little bit of touch already made her feel safer.

Without another word, he started walking deeper into the forest and Hermione followed him without hesitation.

Sssssss

George was just about to turn over the page of his book when he saw Hermione's spot appear on the map. Merlin, Snape had been right for her to appear there soon. It hadn't even been a day until he contacted them!

"She's out," he yelled through the twin bond, before gripping the sickle that was connected to the one, which they had given Snape. A mumbled charm and the professor would know what had happened and hopefully join them any second. In the end, the black-haired man appeared even faster in the underground-room then his own twin, who arrived about 20 seconds later.

By then Snape already studied the map, his brows knitted together in confusion.

"She somehow broke through the wards," he stated while slowly shaking his head. "That should have been impossible. She never ceases to amaze me."

Somehow this praise sounded strange coming from Snape, George found. Never before they had heard him praise anyone, that wasn't a Slytherin.

"What are we waiting for?" Fred asked, staring at them impatiently. "Let's go and get her. That bastard could be right behind her."

Snape nodded darkly. "We will not be able to apparate into that forest. The whole thing is protected by anti-apparation wards. If that wasn't bad enough the Dark Lord has it guarded by a pack of werewolves."

Fred cursed. "Hermione's walking through a forest packed with _werewolves_? Godrics buttocks, is she mad?" We need to find her and fast. "What about brooms? They could help us stay away from the ground and the werewolves and still enable us to quickly search for her," he suggested, agitation evident in his voice.

"Not a bad idea, Freddie," George agreed, looking towards the Professor questioningly. The man nodded in agreeance.

"That might be best. Unfortunately, the tracking charm isn't very accurate, as long as I cannot directly apparate to her. But I'll be able to feel when we're close."

"What about that map? Can't we just take it along?" Fred asked, staring at Snape with a raised brow.

The man sighed. "No, unfortunately not. It's a very complex spell and to make it work I had to use the ley line that is running below the mine. That's the reason why I chose that location in the first place. Or did you believe I have an affinity for dark and moist places?"

The twins nodded grinningly. "But you can still feel her location? Well, I guess that's better than nothing," George said, grabbing one of the brooms they had already stored in the room.

Snape nodded, before he took out his wand, casting a glamour on himself. Suddenly he looked like he was a Weasley cousin. And wasn't that funny? "In case we encounter the Dark Lord I cannot be recognized," he explained. "If he finds us, try to fly straight up, outside of the reach of the wards and apparate away. No duelling him, as long as we haven't found Hermione. The odds we get ourselves killed are fairly high."

"Got it," Fred and George chorussed before looking at their ally expectantly. "After you," Fred said and the man nodded towards them with a crooked smile.

"Of course," he said, his eyes glinting, before pointing out a destination on the map. "Try to keep up." And a moment later he was gone.

They reappeared at the edge of a dark forest of broadleaf trees. They were standing so close, that the ground would not be seen, if they decided to use the brooms to fly over the forest, George realized in dismay.

"So much for that plan," he mumbled, staring gloomily at those damned trees.

Snape mumbled something next to him, sounding pissed as well. "We'll have to walk then. If we go straight ahead, we should meet her sooner or later. Last time I looked at the map she was headed into this direction."

The twins nodded.

"Should we disillusion ourselves and muffle our steps? Could help against the werewolves, but Hermione will be unable to see us," Fred asked his two companions.

"We don't have a full moon, therefore the werewolves should just be regular wizards. But we shouldn't get our hopes up. They are still working for the Dark Lord, guarding his house. Therefore I would prefer not to encounter them."

George nodded darkly. "Then we'll hide. Do we know a spell to hide our scent? Could be helpful as well."

At that Snape's lips twitched. "Fortunately for you, I came well prepared."

He handed each of them a phial filled with a forest-green potion. "Drink this. It will make spells to hide us unnecessary. We better save our magical energy for the dangers lurking within that damned forest."

Fred and George drowned the potion with a thankful nod. It was good they had Snape on their side. Now at least one of them knew what he was doing.

Ssssssss

Hermione wasn't sure for how long they had been walking, but it must have been at least three hours. Now she felt like she could barely keep her eyes open any longer, her lids dropping more and more often as she followed Eric through the dark forest.

They hadn't walked fast, changing their direction twice already. But now their steps had slowed down even more. How much longer until they could take a break to at least rest their legs for a little while. She had barely finished the thought, when Eric suddenly stopped and pulled her close, to break through her silencing charm again. She didn't really mind his presence, as being close to him was necessary for them to communicate, nonetheless, he was almost a complete stranger to her.

"We'll rest for a few hours," he mumbled into her ear. "Be keeping those spells upright you've almost exhausted your magical energy and I'd rather avoid you passing out."

"I'm sorry," she whispered in embarrassment. Of course, it had been the spells which had tired her out. She'd never held them upright for such a long time.

"Don't be. You being sorry doesn't change the situation. It doesn't make me feel better, it only makes you feel worse," he said. "I'll ward this area here, securing it against anyone trying to find us. Werewolves included. As soon as I'm finished, you can drop your protection spells."

"Thank you," she replied full of gratitude.

A moment later she could feel him step away before she saw wards come alive around them. It was a beautiful sight, as layer after layer of light flared on the ground and in the air until they were surrounded by a round dome that spanned an area of several metres. Then, suddenly, the lights disappeared, before a moment later Eric dropped his protections and appeared several feet to her right. Hermione immediately followed his example. It was like a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders, immediately making her feel better. Still, there was no denying that she was dead tired on her feet.

"You should try to sleep," Eric said, while he casually transfigured a tent out of a leaf from the ground. It wasn't a big one, but it was more than Hermione would have managed right now. How did he still find the energy to do that? She didn't find the courage asking him though, out of fear to insult him.

"Will you sleep as well?" she asked while trying to sound like she didn't care either way.

He looked at her with grey, unfathomable eyes. "That depends. If you feel safer with me guarding the tent, I will stay awake until you had a few hours of rest. You'd have to sit guard afterwards, as I need to sleep as well."

Hermione thought for a short moment. "Those wards are safe, are they not?" she asked, studying with an inquiring gaze.

"Of course they are," he said like that was a given. "Being a skilled ward-breaker also requires extensive knowledge of warding. No one will find us behind this wards, not even Voldemort."

She nodded embarrassedly. "Of course," she said, before stepping closer to the tent. "Then I guess we should both lie down."

Eric nodded, without saying anything in return. Then he moved toward the

tent and stepped inside. Hermione wanted to follow him, but she halted after a step and turned around again. "I'll be right there. Could you close your eyes for a moment? I really need to pee." Even though it was a natural thing, she felt awkward talking about her bodily needs like that. Her cheeks immediately showed her embarrassment. Her companion didn't comment on it though, just disappeared in the tent, before closing the entrance behind him. Merlin, he probably regarded her as an annoying teenager by now. She really had to get a grip on herself. Who knew how much longer it would take them to finally get out of that damned forest?

When Hermione finally entered the tent, Eric was already lying on his back, his feet pointing towards the entrance. He was staring at the roof of the tent and it looked like he was deep in thought. For a moment she stared at him, insecurity resonating within her. That tent really wasn't big. She'd have to keep still at night, otherwise, she might unconsciously elbow him in her sleep. And she'd rather save herself the embarrassment.

She would just try to not move around in her sleep, she told herself and carefully laid down on her side, facing the silent man next to her. "Thank you for everything," she whispered and sent him a shy smile. He responded with a tired grunt.

"You were right yesterday. I wouldn't even have made it for fifteen minutes, even when I had managed to somehow break through the wards. Thank you for talking some sense into me."

You would have killed yourself by trying to break through those wards. Are you aware of that?" Eric asked his voice solemn.

She nodded. "I knew it was a possibility," she admitted with a sigh. "But that would still have been better than linking myself to him, only to get used for the rest of my life. By being dead I would have at least been free again."

He smiled an inscrutable smile. "Try to sleep Hermione," he said, his voice sounding softer than she had expected. "Tomorrow will be a long day and you'll need all your energy to make it through."

Hermione nodded, before closing her eyes with a sigh. He was right. She needed to rest. Otherwise, she would be a burden for him. And that was the last thing she wanted.

Sssssss

Searching for Hermione in that damned forest at night was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Only that the haystack was full of dangers and would kill them if they made a mistake. Still, Severus was determined to find his only friend, no matter how long it took. Luckily the link to her and his marking spell at least gave him an idea in which direction to walk, even though it felt like the signal was still somehow dampened. Who knew what other spells lied on this forest?

They walked for hours, the brooms shrunken and stored within their robes and for a while, Severus had the feeling that they were getting closer to Hermione. But then, suddenly, he could no longer feel her. He halted his steps in confusion. The twins, which were still visible for him, immediately stopped in their tracks.

"What's wrong?" George asked, looking around uncertainly. "Did you hear something?"

Severus shook his head, his face full of concentration. "No, it's Hermione. I can no longer find her signal. It's like she's behind some sorts of strong wards again."

The boys looked at him with furrowed brows. "Those must be strong wards then. Do you think Hermione could have erected something like that? She's clever, mind you, but she's never been into warding."

Severus rubbed his chin. "It's very unlikely. But this only leaves two other explanations: either she has been caught or there's somebody with her. I don't like either possibility."

"Me neither," Fred Weasley replied, looking around with a dark expression. "What now? Should we keep walking anyway?"

The potions master shook his head. "We'd only risk walking in the wrong direction. I suggest we stay here and rest until her signal reappears."

"_If_ it reappears," George said, sitting down on a big rock with a tired sigh. "I mean, it's not unlikely he's caught her, right?"

Severus scowled. "No, it's not. But right now we don't know for sure and I'm not giving up that easily."

Fred nodded, a hopeful smile playing around his lips. "Hermione's a tough one, so don't underestimate her. I'm sure she's alright." The boy sat down on the ground, before leaning his back against a tree.

Severus looked at him with a crooked grin. "That girl was in her second year when she brewed Polyjuice for the first time," he said, remembering the sight of Hermione's younger self, spouting cat fur. It was one of his most cherished memories of her, even though he'd never tell her that. "I'd never make the mistake underestimating her. Not after everything I have seen her do."

The boy's heads perked up in interest. "What did you see her do?" George Weasley asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Severus snorted: "As if I'd ever tell you."


	60. Chapter 60

A.N.: Hello guys. Here's your chapter for today. Did I already tell you, that I love all your theories and comments? Probably. But it's true. With tomorrow's post, I have posted 500k words on . I can't believe it! Not everything is in English, as I started my life as a fanfiction writer in German, which is my mother tongue. I'm so happy I switched to English, even though my English might still be a bit strange to some of you. But I love the community we have here. You're all so supportive! So thank you!

Chapter 60: Hunted

When Hermione awoke she felt warm and snuggly. Her head was bedded comfortably soft and the feeling of being protected resonated through her whole body. She hadn't felt this good in weeks, at least since Voldemort had abducted her from the Ministry. _This feels so good,_ she thought, snuggling closer.

With a sigh she opened her eyes, only to realize that she was no longer in her luxurious room in Voldemort's house. Instead, she was lying in a small tent in the middle of the woods, her head bedded on Eric's shoulder, while her arm had comfortably sneaked around his chest, holding him tight. Oh, mother of Merlin!

The man was already awake, studying her with grey, stormy eyes while his mouth was turned up into a crooked smile.

"Finally awake, are we?" he said dryly and Hermione leapt back with her cheeks turned pink in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry" she mumbled hastily. "I didn't want to hassle you or something. I don't even remember tur-…"

He waved her off with an eye-roll. "Think nothing of it. As there were no heating charms on the tent your body probably unconsciously sought me out."

Hermione nodded. That did make sense in a way. "Probably. Are you alright with that?"

Eric shrugged without giving her a direct answer to that. "It prevented me from getting us something to eat. Are you hungry?"

"A little bit," Hermione lied. In fact, she was starving. But asking for additional food from the house-elves might have given her plan away and she really hadn't wanted to risk it.

His mouth twitched as if he could sense that she wasn't telling the truth. Well, he probably could. She had never been a good liar, to begin with and she hadn't really tried hiding the truth behind her Occlumency shields. "We'll try finding some berries as we walk on," he said, pulling himself up in a sitting position. "It won't be much, but I'd rather not risk hunting and making a fire. The wards would hold, but it would lose us almost half a day."

Hermione hummed in agreeance. "Don't worry. We can make it without food for a while. As soon as we're back at Hogwarts there will be plenty of food."

At her words, something shifted behind his eyes. "Hogwarts? That's where you want to go? I thought the school is closed over summer."

She sighed. "It probably is. But right now it's still the safest place for me. I'll ask Professor Dumbledore if he'll let me stay, at least for a few days."

"And afterwards? Do you have any family you could visit?" Eric asked while combing his hair with his fingers.

Hermione thought for a moment. Her parents were gone, but there were still the Weasleys. They had always treated her like one of their own and if she was honest with herself, she was really looking forward to finally seeing the twins again. But first, she needed to go to Hogwarts and see if Severus was still there. "Yeah, there is someone I'll visit afterwards. Don't worry about me. What about you? Where will you go?"

He laughed dryly. "I'm still not even remotely sure we'll make it out of here. Therefore I'll not start making plans until we're really out of here."

"I understand," Hermione replied and she did. Having made plans probably meant an even bigger disappointment, if they were caught. But still, those thoughts of freedom and family were the ones that kept her going. And right now she had the feeling that she'd need all the willpower she could muster in the next few days.

Ssssssss

Fred and George were barely able to find rest that night and a look towards Snape showed that it wasn't any different for him. Their thoughts kept returning to Hermione and the fact that she was hopefully still out there somewhere, possibly even close to them. So why was her signal suddenly lost? Had they missed their only chance to get her back?

"Still nothing?" George asked as the first rays of sunshine started shining through the trees.

Snape raised his head, before shaking it in his direction. "Nothing. We should get ready anyway. In case the signal reappears I want to start tracing it immediately." The man got up, before feeling for something in the pockets of his robes. He took out three more phials of the green potion, as well as the same number of a sunny yellow one. "We shouldn't eat or drink anything from that forest," he said, handing over four of the potion phials. "Therefore I prepared some Draught of Restoration for us. It contains all nourishment our bodies will need for the next 24 hours, water included."

"Brilliant," the twins chorused before each of them drowned the potions they had been given without question. It was a sign of how much they had come to trust him, as he could have easily poisoned them right now if he wished to do so.

The potions tasted sweet, almost a bit like honey. George was positively surprised by its taste. " 's not so bad," he said, grinning happily, as his stomach already started feeling fuller while his energy seemed to slowly return to him. "You should come working at our shop, once all of this is over. If we managed to convert this potion to sweets…"

Fred stared at his brother in surprise. _You do know that we were looking forward to the day, we finally got rid of him_, he whispered through the twin bond in a mocking tone. _And now you're inviting him to work in our shop? Are you mad?_

George couldn't suppress a snort, earning himself an awkward look from the Professor. _Only from time to time_, he answered his twin before stretching his body. That was when he saw the look on Snape's face. "What happened?" he asked the man immediately.

"I can feel her again," Snape replied and immediately started walking again. "She's still in the forest."

Fred and George looked at each other with a wide grin.

"Told you our girl' a tough one," Fred said, clapping his brother's back. "Let's go and get her!"

Ssssssss

They were walking for the better part of an hour when Eric suddenly stopped and pulled her close to him to get into the range of her silencing charm.

"There's someone after us," he whispered and even though she was not able to see him she could still feel the intensity of his gaze.

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. "Voldemort?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But we better get out of here, fast. Hold my hand and run as fast as you can."

Hermione gripped his hand tightly. "Alright," she said before she started running. It wasn't easy. Luckily the sun was already up and provided them with enough light to see the path in front of them. But she could not see Eric and only the contact to his hand warned her when he suddenly changed direction a few times. Still, she kept pace with him as well as she could and luckily they did not stumble once. The knowledge of being followed definitely helped her run much faster and longer than she would have thought possible. Still, after not even twenty minutes her steps started slowing down and shortly after Hermione stopped, panting for breath and holding her burning sides.

"I… can't…" she gasped, leaning her head against Eric's shoulder. The man didn't feel like he was struggling for breath at all. She heard him sigh impatiently.

"Stay here then," he said, before gently pushing her away. "Don't move."

Hermione nodded, before sitting down on the cold ground. She buried her head on her knees and tried to take slow, deep breaths. At the same time, she listened for any sign of Eric or their persecutors. But there was silence all around.

From the corner of her eye, she saw wards flickering into place all around them, before their lights disappeared and they remained invisible. This time it seemed like Eric was taking more time erecting them, probably because he knew that whoever was following them was right on their toes.

"Alright, you can drop your protection spells now," she heard her companions voice from behind her.

Hermione gladly did as she was told, her body thankful to be rid of the additional energy loss. "What do we do now?"

Eric looked at her with a grim expression. "We wait and hope that whoever is there starts looking somewhere else when he's unable to find us."

That could take hours, or _days_, Hermione realized in dismay. How long could they go on without food and still have enough energy to walk and keep up their protection spells? Water luckily wasn't a problem. The Aguamenti spell could at least provide them with that. But food… They could not hunt as long as they had to hide within those wards and there were no berries as far as she could see. How else could they find something to eat?

"We'll wait for a few hours and hope the danger passes," Eric said while sinking tiredly into a sitting position. Suddenly his face looked haggard and tired, even though there was not a word of complaint from his lips. "Then I'll step outside of the wards and see if the danger has passed."

"What if it hasn't?" Hermione asked, her heart feeling heavy already.

He smiled humourlessly. "Then there are two choices: either we start moving anyway and risk being captured, or we stay put but are unable to get food."

Hermione sighed. "We'll try to hold out as long as we can. Getting caught isn't an option, for either of us. I'd rather starve than going back there."

"Are you sure? He might not even punish you that much. You are the Open Link, after all, and he wants to gain your trust," Eric said, looking at her with a strange expression on his face.

She looked back at him with a huff. "And what about you? You said he'd kill you if he got hold of you again. Not to forget that you're only in this situation because I pressured you into it. Do you think I will simply give up, in the knowledge that it will mean your death? It would be like I killed you myself." She started pacing in front of him. "I ran away for a reason, Eric and that reason still stands. He would have nearly had me, I could no longer trust myself while being close to him. Even if I wont make it back to Hogwarts or to my friends, I'd rather take myself out of the equation, because otherwise this war is as good as lost."

The man nodded tiredly. "I see. Then we can as well rest for a bit. It's not even noon, I know, but we better do everything to save our energy."

Hermione sat down next to him with a little smile on her lips.

"Alright, let's take a rest and while we do so, you can tell me a bit about you. It's not like we have much else to do."

Eric snorted. "That is true."

Ssssssss

Something strange was going on. Severus and the twins had been walking for quite some time, sure that Hermione was still in the forest. Then suddenly, she was gone again. There was no signal of her for hours, having them wandering aimlessly through the forest. Once they even saw a group of other wizards from afar, seemingly also looking for somebody, but as they could not be sure if they were werewolves, Death Eaters or Aurors they decided to stay hidden. Was Hermione doing the same? But how? Severus did not doubt the girl's intelligence or creativity but masking her magical signal was very advanced magic and Severus wasn't even sure if he'd been able to have done it. Did that mean she wasn't alone? Was it maybe another trap the Dark Lord had set up for Hermione's friends or the other parties seeking the Open Link? It was possible.

So what should they do? Giving up was not an option, at least until there hadn't been a signal from her for a few days or he was suddenly called to the Dark Lord. Until then they would keep looking and if they encountered any werewolves they would take them out, in the hope to help Hermione escape.

Ssssssss

They played the hiding game for days. _Hiding game_, that's what Hermione called it in her head now. A game sounded like fun, or like it was supposed to go that way. It was masking the fact that Hermione was now permanently hungry, the few berries they picked on the way barely enough to keep her going. Still, they made it closer and closer to the edge of the forest even though their pursuer still seemed to follow them. But thanks to Eric's warding skills and seventh sense (or whatever it was that helped them avoid them) they made it to the edge of the forest three days after having escaped Voldemort's clutches. When she saw the first light streaming through the trees from afar, she could barely believe it. She was free, _finally free_, she told herself before breaking out in a run, with Eric's hand tightly clutched in hers. By now she was so used to holding him that way, that her fingers suddenly felt empty, as soon as she let go of him when he erected their wards. Somehow they had become friends, even though he would probably deny such a thing, looking at her with cold, grey eyes. But sometimes there was a softness in them that told her that he did like her too, in his own closed-off way. She would miss him, once she was back at Hogwarts, she realized. But that was where they would be going, where he had agreed to take her.

_Only a hundred metres more,_ Hermione thought, picking up speed. And really, there was no one blocking their way, no one holding them back. Their feet touched the soft grass as their skin felt the warm touch of the evening sun. _Finally free_, Hermione told herself before Eric pulled her into an Apparation and whisked her away - to Hogwarts, into safety.

Sssssss

Their landing was rough, much rougher than Hermione was used to. It was probably due to the fact that they were both weak and had barely eaten in days. Luckily that meant that there was nothing in her stomach she could lose due to the sickness that overwhelmed her when she stumbled to the ground with shaking legs. Eric landed next to her, a curse leaving his lips. A moment later Hermione realized why. They weren't alone, a group of Death Eaters had already been waiting for them in the shadows of the Forbidden Forest.

"Look who we have there," a man's voice said gleefully. "The little girl and the dead man."

"He's not dead, yet," Bellatrix Lestrange's voice singsonged while walking towards them with swaying hips. "A fact that can easily be remedied."

Hermione looked up at her with wide eyes, right in time before a jet of blue light left her wand, ripping Eric from his feet throwing him to the ground like a puppet.

"Unfortunately I'm forbidden to touch you," the mad witch said looking towards Hermione with a mocking smile. "That is alone for the Dark Lord to enjoy. But maybe he'll let me watch you being punished, once I'm finished with _him_." Another curse left Bellatrix wand, hitting Eric into the chest.

"No!" Hermione screamed, scrambling to her feet. "Don't hurt him, _please_!" she shouted, dashing towards her friend with quick steps. She had barely made it halfway, when Bellatrix raised her wand again, an evil smile playing around her lips. Hermione saw the curse flying from it and reacted without thinking. The jet of blue light never reached Eric, as suddenly an orb of golden light appeared around him, absorbing it with the sound of fizzling energy.

"You're not touching my friends!" she yelled, her eyes once more black and murderous. Magical energy thrummed through her veins, energy that she had pulled through the Link from Severus. "You hear me? If you want him, you'll have to go through me."

Wand in hand she positioned herself in front of her friend, who was slowly pulling himself up to his feet. "Hermione," he whispered urgently, but she ignored him, the first duelling spell Voldemort had taught her already on her lips. She'd have no problems using it against this evil witch.

"Hermione," Eric's voice called her once more before she suddenly felt his hand taking her left one from behind. And before she or the Death Eater's understood what he was doing, he whisked her away into another Apparation.

sssssssss


	61. Chapter 61

A.N.: Alright, my friends. Welcome to the finale of part 2. Buckle your seatbelts and hold on tight, it will be a rough ride.

There is a BAD cliffhanger at the end of this chapter, which is why I decided to post two chapters today (and because with today's posts I've posted 500k words on ). I've planned to do this for a very long time and so I wrote like crazy to make this possible for you.

We'll see each other in part 3, or so I hope. ;-)

Chapter 61: Check!

They hit the ground with a thunk, their limbs connecting painfully with the hard stone floor. Hermione groaned in pain and rolled over, before realizing that there wasn't a sound or any movement from the man next to her.

"Eric!" she gasped, hastily scrambling towards him. But there was no reaction. His clothes were torn, where Bellatrix' curses hit him, showing angry, purple skin below. Whatever that curse was, it had left pulsing marks on her friend's body and Hermione realized that the effect was still lasting. With shaking fingers she searched for his pulse point. With her parents being medical professionals she had no problems finding it. The heartbeat was there, slow and weak, but thank god, Eric was still alive.

"Eric please," she whispered, kneeling next to him on the floor. "We need to get you to a hospital, or at least somewhere safe…"

His face remained still. Was he even conscious? Had he heard her words? There was nothing for it. The man wasn't responding, he had probably given his last bit of energy to get them away from Bellatrix and her Death Eater friends. But were they really safe here, wherever _here_ was?

Without knowing what she was doing she started unbuttoning his shirt. She stripped it away as good as she could before she stared at the hurt skin with furrowed brows. She was no healer, there probably wasn't much she could do for him. Still, she had to try. It was her fault he'd gotten hurt, to begin with.

She tried every healing spell she could remember, but nothing really seemed to take effect. Why hadn't she studied more medical spell books before going on that stupid journey? And why did she want to go to Hogwarts in the first place? Of course, that's where Voldemort suspected she would go.

"Please don't die on me," she sobbed, as she realized there was nothing else she could think of to help her friend. His pulse was still there, but it had started to stutter from time to time. "I'm so sorry I dragged you into all of this."

There was no reaction from him, nothing. There had to be something she could do, anything. And suddenly an idea formed in her mind. She had healed somebody once without her even speaking a single spell. Back then she had been only half aware of what she had been doing, but now it was like her body remembered and guided her to do the right thing. Her arms snaked around his bare chest, while her ear came to rest just above his heart. She closed her eyes, took a long breath and let her magic start to flow.

At first, nothing happened but finally, she could hear his heartbeat getting stronger, while his chest started to rise and fall as his breathing got deeper. Hermione took this as confirmation that what she did was working and smiled, as she started to concentrate on what she wanted her magic to do. And then she let go.

_This is probably going to form a link_, she thought drowsily. But somehow she couldn't find herself to care. Eric was her friend, he had saved her and now it was finally time for her to save him too.

Ssssssss

The energy loss hit him totally unprepared and let him sag to the ground with a surprised noise. The twins had barely time to register what happened to him, but they were too late catching him when his body hit the ground with a muffled thud.

It wasn't as bad as last time, as he remained conscious, even though he did not find the energy to get up again. He also registered the Weasleys staring at him with wide eyes and kneeling down at his side.

"Professor," George said, his eyes full of worry. "What's wrong? How can we help?" he asked and to Severus' surprise something like worry reflected in the boy's eyes. Why did that redhead even care?

Severus groaned. " 's nothing," he said, his voice suddenly hoarse. Merlin, what happened to Hermione that she siphoned his energy like this? He'd been able to feel her on and off over the last hours and bit by bit her signal seemed to have moved closer towards the edge of the forest. He could still feel her, but now she suddenly seemed to be hundreds of miles away. _How_?

"Doesn't look like nothing, Sir," the other Weasley said. "Can you get up?"

Severus shook his head with a grimace. "Not for a while," he admitted groggily.

The boys sighed. "Well, I guess his age finally shows," Fred said, a teasing grin on his face. His brother rolled his eyes.

Severus wanted to make a snide remark, or at least give any form of a reply, but he could feel himself getting tired. He'd give them a lecture as soon as he was back to form, he decided, before his eyes fell close with an exhausted sigh. But first, he would sleep, just for a little while. Hermione needed his energy and he was more than willing to give it to her.

Ssssssss

He couldn't be more pleased with himself, he realized, when he looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms that had spent her last bit of energy in the attempt to save him. Not that she knew whom she was actually saving, his plan and therefore his second identity had been implanted for weeks now. He had hoped to never see the need for using it, to trick her that way. Hermione would probably never forgive him when she realized that Eric was nothing more than another glamour he had worn to be close to her when she would not allow his presence. As the clever Slytherin he was, he quickly realized he had to adapt his plans after his Queen had tried to run away from him and almost killed herself in the attempt to do so. How could his plan to renew his body and therefore finally win her over have backfired so spectacularly?

That day he had barely convinced her to come back with him. Only _Eric's_ promise to help her get away made her reconsider her plans and follow him back to the house, where he immediately started to put plans into motion. He still needed to be able to contact his Death Eaters, to let them know where they would find the two of them. Having them chase them, added the extra bit of spice that was needed, to draw her closer to him. But of course, none of his followers could know that it was, in fact, him accompanying her. Having been played that way would not have helped to establish his lioness as his queen.

The girl had been drawn to him right from the beginning of their journey. Now that he had started with a blank slate that brain of hers was no longer holding her back and she could finally follow her instincts. At night it never took long for her to seek him out and as soon as she established some form of physical contact, he could feel her magic ghosting over him, sniffing him out. It was like a primal part in her could feel his magical power and be drawn to it. Probably it was the Open Link feeling the need of finally finding a suitable, powerful partner. His lioness wasn't aware of it, _any of it_, but she too realized that something between them shifted. Only that it wasn't friendship like she assumed. It was so much _more_. Her magic understood what she still denied with every fibre of her existence: the both of them belonged to each other. They complemented each other like he had never thought possible, him being cold, calculating ice while she was all passion, loyalty and fire.

Now finally the link to her was established. He could still feel her magic thrumming through his veins in the most delicious, intoxicating way. Soon he'd let her taste some of his own magic in the hope that it was as addicting to her, as her magic was to him. Finally, the Gryffindor lioness was his, even if she still wasn't aware of it. But she would find out sooner or later. She'd have to realize then, that this connection was what she wanted all along, even though she had been too afraid to forge it. It might take her some time to accept this desire, to accept him the way he was, but there was no hurry now. Now there was no getting away from him, ever again.

His girl shifted in his arms, unconsciously snuggling closer to him while her body was slowly waking up. He enjoyed holding her, taking in her sweet scent and listening to her breathe. Never before he had found pleasure in such a mundane thing, as women easily bored him with their presence and their bodies. Not so his lioness. With her he felt strangely challenged, as she often discussed with him over the various topics, stimulating him intellectually. But it was much more than that. She wasn't a beauty in the classical sense, with her wild mane of hair, her small size and her still growing curves. He had never particularly cared for those things though, as those classical beauties didn't have anything that really set them apart. He'd seen it all a few decades ago and had gotten bored pretty quickly.

His girl woke up with a little sigh. Her body shifted once more and he could tell the exact moment she was aware, that she was, in fact, lying in his arms. Her whole body stiffened before he could feel her trying to distance herself without waking him. For a moment he considered letting her get away with it, but then he decided against it and slowly opened his now grey eyes. She didn't notice it right away, but when she finally did her whole face broke out into a smile.

"Eric!" she exclaimed full of happiness, staring at him full of warmth. "You're alright, thank Merlin. How do you feel?"

"Sore," he lied, putting on a small smile. "But that's still much better than I am supposed to feel, after being hit with that curse. You saved me, didn't you?"

She looked at him shyly. "I suppose I did. Well, at least I tried to. But we should still take a look at your wounds."

It felt strange to be taken care of. Never before somebody had tried to do so, his followers too scared or awed to even try. Not that he had let them do it. As their Lord, he needed to seem untouchable for them to respect him. "There is nothing left to look at," he said calmly, pointing at his now flawless chest. There was indeed nothing, the remnants of Bellatrix' curse wiped away like it was nothing. It shouldn't have been possible, as it usually would have required a skilled healer and many weeks of rest to get him back to his feet. Bellatrix had always been vigorous in fighting his enemies.

"There's nothing, not even a scar," his girl exclaimed with wide eyes. Her hands carefully ghosted his skin, as if to reassure herself that what she was seeing was true and he could barely suppress a shudder of delight. He'd have to give her more reasons for touching him. It felt so much better than only feeling her touch through Nagini. Her nimble fingers dutifully expected the area where the wound had been, her fingertips lightly feeling the soft skin of his belly. He had to stomp on his desire and instinct to touch her or moan in pleasure at her touch, as this definitely would have scared her away. He could not avoid the goose bumps spreading over his skin though and he quickly tried distracting her through his words.

"What you did was incredible, Hermione," he said, enjoying the use of her given name. "I do owe you my life."

She smiled. "And I owe you mine. Thank you for helping me get away from him." She said, pulling him into a spontaneous hug. Lord Voldemort reciprocated it in delight, a pleased smile playing on his lips. He had just declared Check to Dumbledore and all his allies and they weren't even aware of it. This game was almost won. Soon there was nothing else for him to do than to enjoy his victory - and his Queen.

Sssssssss

"Something's wrong with him," George said, staring down at the white and almost peaceful face of one Severus Snape. The man was lying on the cold ground still like a statue, somehow reminding him of a very ugly, male version of Snow White, after she had eaten the poisoned apple.

Fred shrugged, his face serious. "The man has been through a lot. Maybe his job as a spy is taking its toll. Or maybe he's sick or something. He didn't seem overly worried about this whole situation, which implies it's happened before…"

George nodded. "Yeah, he definitely knew what was happening to him. But I guess there's no use in playing the guessing game, as this could mean anything."

"Right, brother. Let's better use his little nap to our advantage," Fred replied and without warning, he pulled some hairs out of Snape's head. The man didn't even flinch. With a serious expression, Fred pulled out two bottles of Polyjuice and dropped the hairs inside, before handing one of the bottles over to his brother. George pocketed it with a nod.

"He won't like this," he warned but Fred just shrugged unimpressed.

"Of course he won't. But it's not his decision, it's ours. I have the feeling getting Hermione back will involve some kind of ugly fight. And we both know what Voldisnort will do, once he discovered that Snape tricked him."

George nodded. "He'll try to kill him, for sure."

"Which is why it's better that there's more than one Severus Snape, don't you think? This man's the best chance Hermione's got. And I'm determined to not butch this up again," Fred said, storing his own bottle in his robes.

"We won't. Everything will be alright, you'll see," George assured him, just as he saw Snape starting to shift on the ground. It took the Professor some time to finally regain consciousness, but when he did he looked at them with tired, dark eyes.

"How long was I out?" he asked, pulling himself into a sitting position with a groan. George saw him sway for a moment but didn't comment on it.

"Around two hours," he replied neutrally, before offering the man a hand to help him up. Snape looked at it unimpressed before he got up without accepting it.

"Then we better hurry up. We need to get out of the forest as Hermione is no longer here. Somehow she made it out and I'll apparate us to her, as soon as we leave those blasted wards."

Fred and George were instantly on their feet. "Let's go then. Shouldn't be too far to the edge of the forest, maybe one hour of walking."

Snape nodded darkly, before taking out a phial from a pocket of his robes. He drowned the milky white content with a grimace before he started walking with a determined look on his face. George couldn't help but stare at the man in worry.

What if they really needed to fight a duel over Hermione? Would Snape even be in the condition to do it?

_He'll do it, no matter his condition_, Fred answered his thoughts through the bond. _Look at him, he looks like he's ready to do anything, no matter the costs._

George couldn't help but agree with his brother. Snape looked like he was beyond caring for himself, his usually calm eyes wild with raw feelings. Hermione really must mean a lot to him. _It's good we have the Polyjuice. Otherwise, the man will get himself killed, _George thought, speeding up his steps. And a dead Severus Snape was about the last thing the Order needed, not to forget about Hermione. George had the feeling that their girl had been through a lot and it would take more than the two of them to put her back together.

Ssssssss

He was just about to start another conversation with his queen when he heard the sound of three apparitions next door. His lioness must have heard them too, as she was instantly on her feet, her wand ready to defend him and herself from possible attackers. Whoever it was must have been looking for them and he doubted it was Bellatrix and his other followers, as he hadn't hinted towards their location this time. He had been looking forward to some more undisturbed time with his girl. Unfortunately, it appeared that this had to wait.

For a moment nothing happened, but then the door was blasted open revealing the most peculiar sight. Not one but three versions of his servant, Severus Snape looked at them with dark, analysing eyes. What was that man doing here? Had he followed his call to hunt the escaped prisoners? For a moment he thought about confronting the man, but that would have given away his true identity. He wasn't quite ready to give up his lioness' unfiltered affection and so he decided to wait and see how all of this played out.

For a moment the five of them just stared at each other silently, before the unexpected happened. His Queen abandoned his side to run towards his potions master, only to engulf one of them with a noise that was between a laugh and a sob.

"_Severus_," he heard her whisper reverently while burying her face in the man's shoulder. That alone was enough for something in him to snap and draw his wand. _Severus Snape that traitorous bastard_, he thought unable to suppress the anger in his gaze. Oh, he'd make the man pay.

One of the men across the room must have seen his reaction, as he suddenly stepped in front of the others, before firing a silent attack in his direction. The spell would have hit him, but he blocked it away with a practised motion.

"No!" he heard his lioness shouting from behind, hurrying towards the man who had just attacked him. "What are you doing? This is Eric, he's a friend!" she shouted, desperation resonating in her voice.

But Severus Snape would not be tricked that easily. "No, Hermione," he said, pushing the girl away. "This is the Dark Lord, playing mind games with you."

He heard her gasp, shaking her head in horror. "No," she whispered, her eyes desperately seeking him out. For a moment he considered continuing to play this game, but that would have meant not attacking a man that had probably betrayed him for years. His spy must have been aware of Miss Granger's identity as the Open Link and probably decided to bond with her himself, or at least seek out her friendship. Why else would she have treated him with such trust and familiarity? No, he could not let the man get away.

A simple thought let the glamour fade away, transforming him back into his young, handsome self. He locked eyes with her for a moment, a victorious smile on his lips, before he focussed his attention on the man who had been his servant for over two decades.

"You have deeply disappointed me, Severus," he said, his voice as cold as ice. "No one dares to defy me and lives."

Severus Snape nodded - not one but two of them - like they had expected this sort of reaction from him. The last one hastily walked towards his queen and grabbed her arm. "We need to go," he heard him whisper urgently.

For a moment he saw her struggle against the man, desperately shaking her head. "We can't just…" she said but was interrupted by one of her other _friends_.

"Go!" they shouted, before throwing another spell towards him. It was a _Septumsempra_, a curse he had seen being cast countless times by one man. _Got you_, he thought his face breaking out in a dangerous smile. He'd kill this one first.

Ssssssss

_This couldn't be happening_, Hermione thought, staring at the scene playing out in front of her with growing horror. Voldemort had tricked her, _again_. He had played her like a fiddle, having her dance after his tune, going as far as healing him with the price of forging a bond. Mother of Merlin, what had she _done_? By trying to get away from that man she had made the biggest mistake possible. She had formed a link to the most dangerous man alive and therefore probably sealed their fate.

"Hermione, please, we need to go," the Severus next to her whispered, only that this wasn't Severus Snape. Her friend was standing in the frontline, duelling his former master with a victorious smile on his lips. She needed to help him, to at least do _something_. And suddenly she knew exactly what to do.

"Count to five and then apparate us," she said, before gripping the man's arm tightly. She saw him nod and with a sigh she opened the Link to Severus, pushing through all magical energy that was left in her. It wasn't much, as she had exhausted herself only hours ago, but it would hopefully be enough to let the other two get away in time. Because they could not win this fight, as she knew now that Voldemort himself was invincible for now.

Hermione felt her legs get weak, but it did not matter. Right as they were about to give out she felt herself being pulled into an apparition, leaving behind two of her best friends with a man that was out to kill them.

Ssssssss

He saw his Queen port away from him with the enemy, saw that man touch her as he whisked her away. They would pay for taking what was his, for stealing his Queen. But now that she was gone, he no longer needed to hold back his rage and his power. For now, she was out of his range, which meant that he could not hurt her right now with a stray curse or anything alike.

He let his rage consume his body and magic, letting the intention to kill form in his mind. There would be no getting away for any of them, he told himself, before the first killing curse left his wand. It hit its target with deathly precision, piercing the shield the man had cast as his protection a moment ago. There was no shielding from the killing curse, Lord Voldemort thought, as he saw the life in Severus Snape's eyes flicker out leaving nothing but emptiness. A moment later he felt the confirmation through the Dark Mark he had once given the traitor. Severus Snape was dead as was the connection they had formed through the Dark Mark.

Lord Voldemort saw the man's lifeless body hit the floor with a loud thud, where it remained still, wand still firmly clutched in his hand. It was a pity, the man had been an excellent Potions Master and a talented wizard. But there were others that could take his position, once he had conquered the wizarding world.

_Now to the other one_, he thought, staring at the man's copy with a calculating expression in his eyes. But this Snape only looked at him for a moment, before a grim smile appeared on his face. The next moment Lord Voldemort saw him drop something on the floor before the room was engulfed in darkness. With a curse, he erected a strong shield around him, but the attack never came. Instead, he heard the bang of apparition echoing through the room. He immediately dropped his shield and banned the darkness surrounding him with a wave of his wand. Severus Snape's copy was gone and with him the body of the man himself.

Well, they could have him, could _bury_ him, he was useless to them now. Severus Snape would never again defy him, he had taken care of that. Still, he had the feeling that he hadn't let the man pay enough for his treason. But in the end, it didn't matter. He had everything he needed to win this war. All Jokers were in his hand. He just needed to play them out.

End of part 2


	62. Chapter 62

**Part 3: Using the Link**

Chapter 62: Losing you

Fred arrived at Snape's hideout, his arms heavy with the Potions Master he had grabbed before apparating away. For a moment he had considered leaving the man behind, but he owed it to him and to Hermione to at least giving him a proper burial and not having his body eaten by a gigantic snake or something equally gruesome.

George and Hermione were already there, but the girl was as white as a ghost and as still as a stone.

"What happened?" George shouted, speaking out what they both thought?

"Is she dead?"

"Is he dead?" the questions leaving their mouth at the same time.

Fred nodded grimly, carefully letting go of Snape's arm. His body dropped to the floor like a ragdoll, eyes still open and unseeing. "You-Know-Who hit him with a killing curse," he said darkly, before hurrying towards his brother and the girl he loved. "And Hermione?"

George shrugged. "She passed out shortly after we arrived here. She's alive though, just seems to be unconscious for now."

Fred nodded grimly. "We'll let her rest for now. Help me to carry Snape into the room next doors. I don't want his dead body to be the first thing she sees after waking up. Telling her he's dead will be hard enough as it is."

His brother nodded with a heavy sigh. "We'll tell her together," he said, stepping next to his former professor, before grabbing him by the ankles. "We promised each other to be there for her, I just wish he'd been there for her, too."

Fred looked at the man's corpse with a sigh, before lifting him by his armpits. He'd never thought it possible, that he would one day miss the grumpy man. But somehow he'd come to respect, well even _like_ him. _Not that it matters now_, he thought darkly. The man had given a flying fuck about him, as long as he was alive. Being dead he probably cared even less. "I know. He could have at least understood what she's been through. I mean, you and I will do our best, but Snape has seen it all, hasn't he? He knows what a bastard Voldemort is."

George sighed. "Doesn't matter," he said, while carefully putting Snape down on the cold floor. "You and I will have to be enough. We'll do our best, no matter what. Snape gave his life saving her and somehow I've got the feeling that's what he planned all along."

He looked at the man with a sad expression, before slowly kneeling down next to him and shutting his eyes. "We'll take care of her, Sir," he promised solemnly, looking down at the man's cold face. It almost looked peaceful now.

"We won't let Hermione fall back in his hands," Fred added seriously. "Nor in anybody else's. We might not be able to protect her as you might have, but we know a thing or two about hiding. He won't find us, Sir, I swear it."

Snape did not answer, even though George almost expected a disapproving remark from him. But he guessed death could even silence the most stubborn of men.

Ssssssss

Lord Voldemort did not lose any time to put the next step of his plan into motion. Now that Hermione was aware of him being the person she was linked to, she would try to get rid of the Link as soon as possible. Even with him clinging to the connection it was only a matter of time until she broke it because he had seen the horror in her eyes, as she discovered the truth. Right now being linked to him was the last thing she wanted and it would take time for her to see sense. Luckily he was a true Slytherin and had planned ahead. Brewing the potion had required a lot of his time during the last weeks, but the recipe was easy enough. He had found it in one of the books on the Open Link, that he had read in the very beginning before he had discovered the girl's identity. In the past, it had not always been an option closing a link through intercourse, as some links were forged between political allies, mentors and students and the like. In those cases, a special potion was brewed, adding a few drops of the Open Link's blood. Those had been easy to obtain during their journey through the woods. His lioness hadn't even noticed he had been stealing them from her, assuming he was just cleaning and sealing her wound.

The potion was his possibility to forge a permanent between the two of them. There would be no running away from him, not today and not in ten years. There would be more than enough time for her to get used to the thought, that she was his now and that they shared their magic from now on. Soon he'd start feeding her his magic in small doses, making her want more and more of it until she would not be able to resist him any longer. Given the right rituals it would be child's play finding her again as there would be no hiding from him ever again. It was their fate being connected in this most intimate way and soon he would ensure it became a physical connection.

With a little smile, he took out the small phial he'd been hiding below his robes and studied the golden liquid for a short moment. But there was no time to lose and so he quickly uncorked it and drowned the content in three quick gulps. He could feel the Link intensifying right away, strand after strand of magic forming between the two of them, knitting together to an unbreakable cord. A moment later he could feel her magic silently whisper to him, welcoming him like a long-sought out lover.

Lord Voldemort smiled. Those idiots could have her body for now. He would take her magic instead.

Ssssssss

They had barely put Snape's body down when there was a bang of Apparation and a curse next door. Fred and George were instantly alert, rushing out of their room wand in hand. Only that the person arriving at their hideout was the last one they had expected to see there.

"Malfoy?" Fred asked, his voice full of confusion and distrust. "What in Merlin's name are _you_ doing here?"

The boy looked at them with a scowl and a cold look in his eyes. "I could ask you the same, Weasels. Where is he?"

"Where's who?" Fred asked between clenched teeth. They had just gotten Hermione back and they would be damned to lose her to another Death Eater. The blond boy didn't even take a look at the unconscious Hermione though and instead marched into their direction without a sign of fear. "_Severus Snape_, you idiots. Where's my godfather?"

The boys stared at him in shock for a moment, before George finally found his voice. "He's next door but.. he's…"

"Dead, yeah, I figured as much," Malfoy said coldly before passing them without comment. They saw him disappear in the other room, the door behind him banging close. For a moment they considered following him, but in the end they decided against it. Snape obviously had been Malfoy's godfather and the boy seemed to have had a good relationship with him. Better they let him mourn the man in peace because they sure as hell didn't want to see the arrogant git crying. There was only so much one could take for a day.

Ssssssss

Hermione awoke with a gasp, her body still shaking from the dream she had. She had been on the run with a man that she had regarded as her friend, only that he wasn't her friend at all but Lord Voldemort tricking her into believing so. It had just been another mind game of his and again she had fallen for it.

"Hermione? Are you awake?" she heard a voice ask her. It was a voice she had believed to never hear again, one that she had missed desperately over the last weeks. She opened her eyes and there he was, no, _both of them_, staring down at her with brown, worried eyes. They looked like she remembered them, all smiles and freckles.

"Fred? George" she asked in disbelief. "Is it really you?"

Fred looked at her with a happy smile. "Who else would it be, love?"

She looked at them for a long moment, her memory slowly returning to her. And that was when she remembered Eric and realized that it hadn't been a dream at all. _Oh no, you're not doing this to me again_, she thought scrambling backwards on her cot. "Leave me, I don't feel like playing another one of your mind games. Didn't you already get what you want? Now _leave me alone_." Her last words were more of a shriek, but she didn't care. That man had taken everything from her, he'd given her a glimpse of hope and freedom only to snatch it away just when she believed to have finally fled his prison.

The other men looked at her in confusion and for a moment their faces were so vulnerable, that Hermione almost believed the act. "Hermione please, it's us… it's really us. Just ask us something, _anything_ and we'll prove it to you," one of them - George's copy - said. Hermione considered for a moment, but in the end, she decided against it.

"No, I'm not playing your stupid game anymore. Never again."

They stared at her uncertainly and for a moment it looked like they were about to turn around. But then suddenly a door was opened in the back of the room and a pale blond boy stepped into the room. The sight of him triggered something, but she didn't have time to ponder on it, as he marched towards her with determined steps. Only when he was next to her did she realize, that it was Malfoy staring at her with a hard look in his eyes.

"He fucked with your mind, didn't he?" he asked, staring at her with a detached look in his eyes. Then he sighed. "Of course he did. Get up, Granger." It wasn't a request, it was an order. "I need you to see something."

"No," one of the redheads - Fred? - argued, blocking the way out of the room. "Fuck Malfoy, you see she's not herself. You can't just…"

"She's not going anywhere with you," the other one said, arms crossed in front of his chest. "In the end, you're taking her back into this hell-hole, as soon as we turn our backs. Not happening, arsehole."

Hermione looked from one to the other in confusion. Whatever image Voldemort projected into her head, seemed more and more surreal. This Malfoy didn't seem at all like the arrogant git she had met in school. Fred and George on the other hand...

"Then you're taking her into that room," Malfoy growled, wand suddenly in hand. "_Now_."

There was a moment of hesitation, before the other boys surprisingly gave in, offering her a hand with a sigh. "You heard him, Mione," Fred said, a sad smile on his face. "There's something you need to see. I'm sorry you need to learn it that way."

Hermione didn't know what to think, but her confusion suddenly overwrote her resistance to follow them out of the room. Whatever they wanted to show her, could be much worse, than she'd already seen and been through, right?

She was wrong. It was worse, much worse. "Severus," she gasped, taking in her friend's lifeless body on the floor. His eyes had been closed, his body laid down on his back. He had always been pale, but now his skin had taken on an unhealthy, almost waxy tone, his facial features frozen into an expressionless mask. "No…" It was enough to shake her out of her stupor and she freed herself from the boy's grip, dashing towards the man on the floor with three quick steps. She fell next to him on her knees, touching his cold face with shaky fingers. There was no doubt her friend was dead. "Severus please," she whispered, pressing her ear to his unmoving chest. "Please don't do this, please I just found you…" she begged, tears streaming down her face. But there was no answer.

"He died in the hope to buy us enough time to get you out," George's voice said solemnly from behind.

"As soon as You-Know-Who realized you were gone, he started throwing killing curses. Snape tried blocking it, but the spell just went through his shield," Fred continued explaining to her. She only listened with half an ear though, as the rest of her went out to her friend. He couldn't be gone, he _mustn't_.

"Please Severus," she murmured, clutching his face in her hands, while she pressed her forehead to his. By now her tears started dripping on his face and she half expected him to scowl at her, but he didn't. "I need you, you _know_ I do. Please come back to me, please," she begged, her voice getting hoarser with every word. But there was no answer from him, his face as unmoving as it had been a minute ago. And as the knowledge grew that her friend would probably not come back to her, her heart just broke a little bit more.

Ssssssss

Lord Voldemort returned to his house in the knowledge that he soon would have his Queen back at his side. Her departure from him was only a momentary setback, that would be remedied soon.

After having taken a long bath and had a good meal he would get ready to track her, before bringing her back to his side.

He had just entered his rooms when he started feeling strange. It was like some sort of weakness started to get hold of him, making him feel strangely tired and _drained_. Was it because he hadn't eaten properly in days? Or because of the potion, he had taken? Did his body probably need some time to adjust to the Link he had just forged? It was possible…

With growingly shaky feet he started to hurry towards his bed and he made it right in time before his legs gave out. What was _wrong_ with him, he asked himself, watching in horror as his magical energy slowly started to flow from his body. And suddenly he knew… his Queen was feeding off his energy, pulling it from his body like a thirsty woman through a straw. No matter how hard he tried holding his magic back, it slipped away from him, like water slowly dribbled through a hand. There was no holding it back… And for the first time in centuries, Lord Voldemort felt something resembling fear.

Ssssssss

"_We need to do something_," George whispered to his twin through the bond. "We _can't just let her leave her here, sobbing all over a_ corpse."

Fred hummed in agreeance before he carefully started to walk towards their girl, who was still kneeling next to the dead man, making distressed sounds of anguish, while cradling his lifeless chest.

"Hermione, love," he said, but it was like she wasn't even registering his words right now. "Please come back to the other room. We won't touch you if you don't want it but _please_ come out of here."

Suddenly her eyes snapped open, her head turning while her hands never left Snape's head. She looked at him and as soon as he registered the colour of her eyes, his heart skipped a beat: there was a red unnatural glimmer in them that very much reminded him of a crazy megalomaniac wizard. "No," she said, her voice resonating with power and authority that had not been there before. And Fred couldn't help the shiver running down his back.

Hermione ignored him though, her gleaming eyes focussing on the man next to her. And suddenly it was like he saw his chest rise and sink as he took a breath. But that was impossible, right?

"Merlin's beard," George whispered next to him, staring at the man's hand that slowly started to twitch. It was only a moment, before Severus Snape drew in a long, wheezing breath, before his eyes opened staring at the girl holding his face with wide eyes.

"Hermione," he hoarsely whispered in relief as he gazed at her. But it was enough to shake Hermione from whatever had befallen her, her eyes returning to her normal caramel-brown colour before she threw her arms around him with a sob.

"Severus," she murmured, pressing her ear against his chest to reassure herself of the fact that his heart was indeed beating again. "You came back to me." She said in a disbelieving but happy tone.

The three men in the doorway watched in astonishment as the Professor's arms close around the girl's small frame pressing her against him with a loving smile on his lips. " 's not like you gave me any choice in that matter..." he mumbled, against her hair and even though the thought of Snape cuddling Hermione would have creeped Fred out a month ago, he could not help the happy smile breaking out on his face right now.

Ssssssss

A.N.: Phew, that was it for today. I hope you're still with me and didn't decide to abandon the story, because I broke your heart.

From now on my update schedule will slow down again, as daily updates simply don't match with the massive workload I have atm. You'll find a new chapter every two to three days. Don't forget to leave me a comment! Those are what keeps me motivated.


	63. Chapter 63

A.N.: Here we go, my friends. Finally our heroes will have their long-awaited reunion. Was about time, wasn't it? For the next chapters the story will slow down for a bit. I want to give those guys some time to get to know each other again. I hope you don't mind.

Chapter 63: By your side

They were in the middle of dinner when Harry's vision suddenly clouded over, rage and betrayal echoing through him. The pictures he saw did not make much sense though, there was Hermione and… Snape? And they seemed closer than they should have, considering he was one of his Death Eaters and her former professor. Traitor, echoed through his head. He'd make the man pay for touching what was his.

He killed him, feeling satisfaction when he saw the man being hit by his killing curse, landing face first on the cold stone floor.

"Harry Dear? Is everything alright?" Mrs Weasley's voice pulled him out of his vision and when he looked around at the table he saw that all eyes were focussed on him. Ron, who'd witnessed his fits before, looked especially worried. He stared at his friend with wide eyes.

"It's Hermione, I think she might have gotten away somehow," he said, causing instant chaos in the kitchen, as everybody started talking at the same time. That was, until Sirius loudly ordered silence, his hand noisily hitting the table surface as he did so. A moment later the room was covered in silence.

His godfather cleared his throat. "Alright, we better call Dumbledore right away. And then you'll start telling what you've seen right from the beginning, alright Harry?"

Harry nodded, his heart agitatedly beating in his chest. If Hermione really had somehow gotten away, then they needed to find her and if there was one person able to do so then it was Albus Dumbledore. The man was a genius, after all.

Ssssssss

He had been in a place between here and there, the one world no longer reachable for him, while the other one was slowly getting closer and closer. From afar he could already see Lily's face, smiling down at him like he hadn't seen her doing it in a long time. There was so much warmth in her gaze that his heart swelled with happiness. Soon he would see her, talk to her, even though the price was to leave another friend behind.

He had known the outcome of the battle for him as soon as he realized it was the Dark Lord they were encountering. The man would have never let him get away, after discovering his betrayal. Even if he hadn't killed him outrightly, he would have killed him painfully through the Mark. And compared to that fate a clean death during a duel was much more preferable.

It had been fast and painless, thank Merlin for small mercies, only leaving Hermione back hurt. He doubted the pain he was feeling was physical, that was no longer possible for him, and still, it felt like he was ripped apart. He really hoped they would have some kind of future together - as friends, or maybe even as him being some kind of mentor to her. He would have really liked that. But that chance was gone, or so he thought.

"Severus." Suddenly he heard her voice again, calling him, begging him to come back to her. And oh he wanted to, he really did, but the way back to her was closed to him. Or was it?

It started as a small ray of light, appearing and disappearing again. It let him pause, look back in the direction he had come from.

"I need you, you know I do. Please come back to me, please." He could hear the desperation in her voice, hear the sobs wracking her body. Oh, Hermione… if it was only in his power to come back.

Then suddenly it happened, something in him answered her calling, a small light within him tried answering her pleas. And suddenly he realized that it was the magic she had sent him before she left, her magic, still lingering in his body - or soul? It felt like it was answering her call, resonating with her heartbeat until his own heart started imitating it again. At first, it was only a hesitant flutter, like the wings of a butterfly, but with every one of her heartbeats and whispers, it got stronger and stronger. And suddenly Severus realized that the path in front of him - the path to Lily - blurred again, only leaving the way back - to Hermione. Even if he hadn't wanted to, there was only one way for him to go now. Hermione called him and he had no choice but to answer. Severus Snape was going back, his soul singing with joy over the second chance he had been given. Hermione needed him, she wanted him back in her life, which meant Lily would have to wait.

Ssssssss

"I need a Firewhiskey," Fred said, sinking down at the wooden chair with a deep sigh. George looked at him with a nod, he pretty much wanted a Firewhiskey himself. But for that, they would have to leave their little hideout, which was absolutely not an option.

Malfoy, who was still there, looked contemplative but his face did not give much away about his feelings on the matter. But the boy was a damned Slytherin and those were always hard to read.

He sat on his uncomfortable chair like he was in the middle of a formal dinner or something. Probably this posture had been drilled into him for years. He didn't say a word though, just stared at the empty table with stormy grey eyes.

For a while, they sat in silence, but finally, Fred could not take it any longer and asked: "How did you know where Snape was anyway and that he was...well… dead?"

Malfoy looked up at him and for a moment he seemed to carefully consider his answer before he said: "Professor Snape is my godfather. He named me as a beneficiary in his will. Therefore I was notified of his death right away."

The twins nodded, aware that he had only answered half of their question. So he had known Snape was dead, but they were still in a warded hideout and therefore hopefully unable to be tracked. Fred sighed. They were probably lucky to have gotten something out of the boy.

George nodded, before asking: "How is it that you apparated here? You're not of age and…"

The Slytherin interrupted him with a snort. "So? Don't tell me you ever cared much about the rules? You only need to be of age for getting the official license. But with the right teacher, you can still learn it…" He grinned and the twins could not help to join in.

"True. Pity we did not think of that," George admitted with a crooked smile. Malfoy shrugged. "Only because I didn't get caught that doesn't mean I didn't break any rules," he said casually. The twins nodded acknowledgingly. There really wasn't anything to say against that.

Ssssssss

Hermione didn't know for how long she rested in Severus' arms, helplessly sobbing into his chest. It must have been for a while, because when she looked up the other boys were gone, probably intending to give them some privacy. Hermione was thankful for it.

Severus did not move, just held her tightly to his chest without a single word leaving his lips. She understood as she was at a loss of words herself. There were no words for what they had just experienced.

But after a while, she could feel his arms start to shake, causing her to look at him with worried eyes.

"Are you alright? How do you feel?" she asked, slowly letting go of him and studying his face with brimming eyes.

"Alive," he said dryly, a little smile ghosting his lips. "Apart from that, I feel like my back isn't made for lying on the cold floor. I'd find a sofa very much preferable."

Hermione scrambled to her feet, shyly offering him her hand to help him up. At first, he looked at it strangely, before taking it with an amused shake of his head. He pulled himself up with a grimace, swaying slightly before he made the first step in the direction of the door. And suddenly Hermione did not feel like leaving the room at all. Merlin, she'd been totally out of it after she woke up and she still felt an uneasy flutter knowing that the twins probably waited in the other room for her. So much had happened since she'd seen them at Hogwarts and Hermione didn't know how to explain half of it or if she wanted to talk about it at all. And could she even trust them any longer?

Severus seemed to sense her uneasiness. As soon as he reached the door he paused, studying her with an analysing gaze: "What is it?" he asked patiently.

But that was a question not easily answered. "Nothing," was therefore all, she replied towards him.

His mouth twitched. "You're still awful at lying, Hermione," he said, his gaze softening somewhat. "But I'll let you get away with it for now. As it is, we don't have time for big discussions anyway. We need to leave this place as soon as possible, as it's only a matter of time before he comes looking for you."

Hermione shivered. She would not go back to that man, never again. Severus must have seen her reaction, as he was at her side a moment later, gently supporting her back with his arm. "Don't worry. I won't let him take you again. Alright? And now come, I'll be right at your side."

She nodded and let him slowly lead her out of the room. The boys were already waiting for them next doors, seated at a table with Draco Malfoy of all people. What was he doing here anyway? Did he come to try taking her back?

Severus did not seem bothered by the boy's presence though, as he just stared at the three of them with a serious expression. "We're leaving this place," he announced matter of factly. "If you want to come with us, you can do so. But you won't have the chance to go back for your things or to return to your family and friends at a later point. Hermione and I are going into hiding and we will not take any unnecessary risks."

Malfoy looked at the Professor with a calm expression, that gave nothing away, before saying: "I gave you my answer to that question weeks ago. I'm coming with you if you'll have me." His last words were not directed at Severus though, as he directly looked at Hermione while saying them. She looked back at him with wild eyes, before turning to Severus: "Do you trust him?" she asked, her voice calm, even though she was feeling anything but. Her friend looked at her with a reassuring smile. "I've known Draco for a very long time. Apart from that, I do have an Unbreakable Vow from him. He will not betray us."

She could feel that there was a story behind his words, a story she'd love to hear one day. But for now, his answer was enough. "Alright," she said, nodding towards Malfoy. "You can come with us, then. We've never been friends, but those are special times. Right now I can use any ally I can get and I do have the feeling that we're both not the same people we were a year ago."

The boy nodded. "I can tell you've changed Granger and so have I."

Snape watched their conversation with an unreadable expression, turning towards the twins as soon as it was over. "What about you? Can you leave your family behind, without having the chance to say goodbye or tell them where you're going?"

Fred and George looked at each other for a second, trading a meaningful gaze before they focussed her eyes on Hermione. "We're not losing you again," they told her, their eyes full of raw feelings. "We're coming with you, no matter what."

They were leaving their family for her, Hermione realized, suddenly feeling queasy. But she didn't have time to find the rights words to say to them.

„Well, that is that then," Snape said, looking at the assembled group with a nod. "I and Hermione will go first. Draco, you'll take the Weasleys along."

Fred and George looked at Severus with wide eyes. "You want him to take us along on an apparition? Does he even know where we're going?"

At that, Malfoy looked at the two of them with a smile. "For a fact, I do."

Professor Snape nodded. "As I am probably still counting as deceased, he might even be the owner of the house by now. I guess Gringott's will contact you in case the ownership goes back to me."

Draco waved him off. "The house is yours, no matter what's in the papers. We can discuss the details later."

He offered the twins his hands and there was no trace of mocking or arrogance in his face. He really has changed, Hermione thought, taking Severus' arm. In a blink of an eye, they were gone.

Ssssssss

When Lord Voldemort regained consciousness he was lying face down on his bed. He was feeling drawn and tired, which had not happened since he regained a body through the ritual last year. How long had he been out? Minutes? Hours? Days? He could not say. But he realized that he would have to find a way to prevent such an event from happening again. He had no problems letting his Queen drink off his energy, as long as it was on his terms. What he could not allow was letting him seem weak or even vulnerable in front of his Death Eaters, or worse, his enemies.

He needed the girl back at his side, back under control, as soon as possible. Now that she had tasted his magic, she might have gotten an appetite for him and he was willing to indulge it if she agreed to reciprocate. Still, she would need to control her appetite, at least until this war was won. Afterwards, they could tire each other out, physically as well as magically.

He cleaned himself with calculated efficiency and fed his body without tasting much of the food the house-elves provided for him. Afterwards, he didn't waste any time and summoned his Death Eaters, all of them. He would have to inform them that Severus, the traitor, was no longer alive. A raid on the wizarding world was in Order. His queen needed to be found - soon - and he would leave no stone unturned until she was finally back at his side, where she belonged.

Ssssssss

"Where are we?" Fred asked, looking around the room in wonder. This place looked different than the dark, cave-like room that had been their first headquarters. It looked almost normal.

They were in some sort of living room, two large sofas gracing one of the walls, opposite of the large windows giving them a view over what looked like Muggle London.

"In one of the flats, I recently bought for the purpose of not being found. It's in a Muggle neighbourhood, which will hopefully be the last place they're looking for us," Snape explained, dropping heavily to one of the sofas. George saw him pulling a potion from the insides of his robe and suddenly he realized how tired the man actually looked like. That he had even been able to apparate himself and another person was a small miracle itself.

"The flat is well warded, don't worry," Malfoy continued for him, totally unfazed by the fact that there was a television and other unknown technical equipment around. The twins had seen such stuff before at Hermione's home, but they doubted Malfoy had. Still, the boy did not mind it in the least. "Professor Snape has been very thorough."

"Severus," Snape corrected him from the sofa. "I think we're long past formalities. You've all seen me dead on the floor, after all."

The man wasn't one for sugarcoating, was he? Hermione immediately stiffened at his words but did not say anything. Instead, she walked to the other sofa and silently sat down at one end of it. George saw her bottom lip disappear between her teeth, clearly showing her nervousness. Still, he could not help but smile at the familiarity of the picture… It was a miracle that they finally had her back, even though it was obvious, that their girl had been through a lot. But they would put her back together, he, Fred and Snape. They were all at her side now, ready to support her.

"Severus then," George said with an accepting nod, smiling at the man. "So what do we do next?"

"Pick a room and get some rest," the man replied, his voice tired. "The two of you will have to share, though. As soon as we're all feeling up to it, we'll start putting all the facts together and make plans. But that probably won't happen before tomorrow or the day after. At least some of us will need time to recover."

Somehow George got the impression he didn't mean himself with that, even though the man looked like shit. But compared to an hour ago…

Malfoy nodded and without any other word left the room, his hands buried in the pockets of his robe. Hermione was next getting up from the sofa. For a moment it looked like she wanted to say something, as her mouth slightly opened and her eyes slowly ghosted over him and Fred. But then she shook her head and silently walked out of the room. George sighed.

"She's not the same girl you knew from school," Severus warned them, as soon as the girl closed the door behind her. His dark eyes were on them and it was obvious that he had carefully studied their and Hermione's lack of interaction.

George looked at him with a serious expression. "I know," he said, rubbing his neck, while he tried to hide the disappointment in his voice. He wasn't really sure if it worked. "It doesn't matter though. We still love her," he exclaimed with conviction and Fred who stood next to him nodded.

Snape looked back at them with a tired smile. "And what if she no longer loves you back? She might still love you, but she might as well not. Will you regret having left your family behind, if she keeps pushing you away?"

"Doesn't matter," Fred replied next to him in a serious voice. "She's still the one for us. Even if she no longer wants us back, we'll support her... as friends."

The man nodded. "Good. And now out with you," he said, but somehow the usual bite was absent from his voice. It almost sounded teasing, like the grumpy Professor approved of them.


	64. Chapter 64

A.N.: Hello, my friends. Currently, I am stuck with this story. But as I wanted to do something for this story tonight, I decided to proof-read another chapter for you. If everything goes as planned, there will be another update tomorrow. But that will be everything for this week, as I will be travelling afterwards. So I will probably not be able to update until Sunday evening after tomorrow, which is why I am posting this early.

Thank you for every comment you are leaving for me. I am also happy if you take the time to point out some language-mistakes I made. As a non-native speaker, some of the phrases are really tricky for me. I hope you don't mind.

Chapter 64: Uncomfortable truths

Albus followed the boy's tale with growing worry. Usually, the Chosen One's visions were quite reliable and as much as it pained him to admit it, Severus had shaken off his control some time ago. He had been aware of the man's wish to rescue the girl, even if his motives were still a mystery to him. It was hard to believe his spy suddenly established something like affection for his student. Still, if there was someone capable of finding the girl it was Severus Snape. As a Death Eater, he must at least have had some access to her and he'd probably used it to construct a plan - a plan which got him killed if the boy was to be believed. But if the Open Link still escaped Tom's clutches, then his spy's death had been for the greater good.

"I can't believe she finally got away from You-Know-Who," young Mr Weasley said, sounding relieved. He might have even been a good candidate for the establishment of a link to the girl - he was easy enough to manipulate after all - but unfortunately, the magical energy would have been wasted on him. He did not have more talent than an average Hufflepuff. The Chosen One might have been another possible candidate, but with the unfortunate fate of being a Horcrux himself, that was out of the question. Amongst the students her age, there really was no suitable partner for her. The Weasley twins had unfortunately been a disappointment, too. Untypically for Weasleys, they have shown their unreliability often enough. The best decision would probably be to convince the girl to connect herself to him. They could always use the Ultima Merger potion to close the link, leaving the girl free to romance whomever she wanted afterwards. Yes, that probably would be the best solution for everybody.

As soon as the Order meeting was over, he hurried towards his office. Maybe Fawkes would be able to reach the girl now and escort her to Hogwarts. She'd surely be impressed that he sent his phoenix after her. He'd offer her to stay at Hogwarts during the summer. There she'd be able to use the library and he'd also offer to tutor her from time to time. This way he'd be able to learn a bit more about the girl and find out how to best manipulate her.

Ssssssss

Hermione quickly picked a room for herself, but instead of staying there, she continued looking through the flat in the hope to find the kitchen. It was easy enough to find and to her relief, it was well stocked with everything she could have wished for. It was a long time ago that she had to prepare a meal for herself, as Hogwarts and Voldemort had a bunch of house-elves doing that for her. She hadn't really minded being served her foot by the little servants after a while but she was glad that she could finally cook for herself today. It probably would take her mind off... things, at least for a while. She wasn't going for anything complicated today. Her hunger was too great for having to wait for her food for too long, therefore pasta would have to do. As the kitchen was well equipped with a modern stove and everything else she could wish for, there was no need for her to use her wand, which was a good thing as she still was magically exhausted. She felt like she would knock out as soon as she had ingested some food and sleep for days afterwards. But the others would want to talk to her, they would want to know what happened and there was no quick or easy answer for that. How could she tell them that she had linked herself to Voldemort? What would they think of her? She did not know whose reaction she feared the most. The twins would probably be shocked or disappointed, probably both. Severus on the other hand… would he say "I told you so?" Or would he regard her as a waste of his time, maybe even regret having risked his life for her in the first place? He had tried to teach her how to be clever, how to _think_, after all, but as it appeared she was a hopeless course. Brightest witch of her age, indeed. Whoever said that about her had mistaken bookishness and diligence for intellect.

And Malfoy? Would he taunt her because of it? A year ago she would have been sure of it, now… not so much. The boy definitely had changed, she was almost sure that he had already behaved differently when she was still at Hogwarts. Therefore it was difficult for her to predict what he would do, but out of all the flat's inhabitants, she probably feared his reaction the least. And what did that say about her?

"Hmmm, do I smell pasta?" George's voice said appreciatively from the door and when she looked into his direction, she saw him casually lean against the doorframe, a happy smile playing on his lips.

She nodded with a shy smile. "I made enough for all of us, in case you're hungry," she said, stirring the pasta with a wooden spoon.

He followed the movement with his eyes, before strolling into the room. "Are you kidding me? 'Course I want some, I'm a Weasley and those are always hungry."

Hermione nodded with a smile. "I thought that was just Ron being… Ron," she admitted, looking at the boy who was now suddenly standing next to her. But there was still an arm's length of distance between them and Hermione was thankful for it.

George snorted. "No, I think being always hungry is pretty much a family trait, like the freckles and the red hair, you know?"

She looked at him in disbelief. "You really think so? It could as well be the constant Quidditch practise, that's making you all good eaters." At that, George's eyes started to sparkle.

"It's possible," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "But I don't really care _why_ I'm hungry. Fact is, that I'd really like to eat with you. Do you mind?" He looked at her with those soft, brown eyes. There was a vulnerability shining in them, that she had not seen there before. Those last weeks probably hadn't been easy on them, as well.

"No, of course not," she said, feeling embarrassed that the redhead even felt the need to ask. True, she'd rather avoided him for now, but considering he and Fred had risked their lives to get her out that wasn't really fair on them. "I'm sorry for giving you the wrong impression earlier."

"Don't be," he said, laying out the dishes on the table. "The guy tricked you into thinking he was someone else, someone you trusted, didn't he? It was only natural to assume that he'd try again…"

Hermione nodded contemplatively. "I guess so."

They sat down at the table in silence, George taking the seat opposite of her and for a while, they just enjoyed their meal. It wasn't anything special but after days of almost eating anything, it tasted glorious to her. But as her stomach slowly started to fill, Hermione realized that her friend watched her with worried brown eyes. She looked up and their eyes met.

"You know that Fred and I are here for you, no matter what, right?" he asked, looking at her with a serious expression. Suddenly all humour and light-heartedness were gone.

She started at him silently for a long moment, before she replied with a slow nod. "I know."

"Good. Don't worry, we're not pressuring you to tell us anything. If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine. But if you do, we'll listen… and supply you with as many Weasley-cuddles as you need." The latter was said with a bit of humour in his voice, even though Hermione could tell that the offer was meant seriously. But would he have made it, if he had known that she was lying in another man's arms just a day before? Thinking about it alone made her feel somewhat...dirty. Apart from that, she did not know how she thought about being hugged or even touched by anybody who wasn't Severus right now. Severus she could trust, he was her Link, well one of her Links. But could she really trust them? Or were they too, trying to play her?

"I… I'll think about it, alright?" she said looking at him hesitantly. He stared at her with understanding, brown eyes and if he was disappointed by her answer, he was not showing it. "But I think I'll need some time to adjust, to realize that I am finally safe and that I can trust you…"

George nodded. "Take all the time you need. Fred and I aren't going anywhere, alright?"

"Alright," Hermione said, unable to mask the relief in her voice. He wasn't pressuring her for anything, good. Because that would have been more than she could take right now.

Sssssssss

When Severus was finally able to get up from the sofa, the flat had fallen quite. Someone had cooked dinner and left it waiting in the fridge for him and even if it wasn't Hogwarts cuisine he ate it gratefully. Afterwards, he made his way to his room. He had warded it carefully as it held all his possessions so that none of the others had been able to enter it. Even if this flat would only house them temporarily, he had taken his brewing equipment along and today he was glad for it. He still felt like shit and even though probably only time and sleep would make that go away, he would be damned if he didn't at least try to brew something against this spitting headache. And a Dreamless Sleep potion probably wouldn't go amiss as well.

In the morning he already felt better, the headache was gone and the stiffness finally seemed to leave his limbs. Still, he was looking forward to a strong cup of coffee, before tackling the problems ahead of them. By now at least the Dark Lord would be out to find them and even though he would never find them here, the man would get more and more desperate as time went by. And that would not mean anything good for the rest of Britain, muggles included.

The Weasleys lounged in the living room, discussing something in hushed tones. Draco was in the kitchen, staring at the microwave and the toaster like it had personally offended him. The poor boy had probably tried making breakfast for the last half an hour or so.

"Coffee?" Severus asked while strolling to the fridge. He'd just make breakfast for the lot of them, he doubted those Weasleys knew how to use a muggle kitchen. He'd have to teach them sooner or later or ask Hermione to do it for the twins, as he didn't fancy playing horse-elf for the unforeseeable future.

Draco nodded. "Yeah, thank you. I feel like I'll need at least two cups until I can think straight again."

The former professor snorted. I knew that feeling pretty well. He'd been the same as a teenager, as he'd rather spent his nighttime reading than wasting it on sleep. It wasn't long until the Weasley's joined them in the kitchen, looking towards the table in hungry anticipation. Luckily the eggs and the ham were almost finished.

"Mind if we join you?" George asked, already setting the table for five. Hermione did not show up though and they were halfway into their breakfast until the other twin said: "Hermione's warded her room." Severus could tell that he wanted to say more, as there was probably a whole story behind those words.

He sighed. "Of course she has. She has lived in the same house as Voldemort and his Snake for several weeks. Draco here can tell you how much fun that is. We can not blame her for not feeling safe after that particular experience."

His godson nodded darkly. "The man's a psychopath and that snake is bloody scary, even for a Slytherin. I would have warded my door too if that hadn't raised questions I was not ready to answer back then."

Severus nodded, casually adding: "Apart from that she is the Open Link. She has spent the last weeks with a man eager to forge a bond with her, obsessing more and more over the question how to finally make her his. I would not be surprised, if she expects that sort of behaviour from other people now, too. And I think I am not wrong if I say that at least two people in the room do have that intention."

The twins stared at him defensively. "This is not about forging a link with her," Fred protested, sounding offended and Severus saw Draco rolling his eyes at the boy.

"Maybe not," he said with a knowing smile on his lips. "But _that's_ still how a link is created."

For a moment Severus expected a row to break out, but to his big surprise, the twins sighed, rubbing their foreheads tiredly. "Yeah, we know. It's making this whole thing even more complicated," George admitted tiredly. He agreed. It was a good thing he was past the phase in his life, where he thought about romancing somebody because that whole experience had been a total disaster.

Ssssssss

Hermione stayed in her room as long as possible, as she did not feel like she could face the discussion which had to take place sooner or later. She knew that she didn't have endless time to stall, spilling the miserable truth, but every time she thought about leaving her room she was near panicking. But as it was nearing noon, she could no longer put her bodily urges off and so she finally left the room with a heavily beating heart. Luckily the kitchen was empty when she entered it, causing her to sigh in relief before making herself a strong cup of tea and some toast.

"You'll have to tell them eventually," a voice suddenly said behind her, making her hastily turn around in surprise. And there stood Draco Malfoy, casually leaning in the doorway, staring at her with serious grey eyes. Their eyes met and Hermione could not help but stiffen, the kettle boiling behind her on the counter.

"I don't know what you mean," she said weakly, her body ready to bolt from the room. But unfortunately, her exit was blocked. Draco seemed to read her intention, as he suddenly stepped into the room before sitting down at the table.

"Is there enough water for two cups of tea?" he asked like they hadn't been enemies for the better part of their teenage years. But she guessed those things did not matter anymore, did they?

"Guess so," she said, pouring both of them a cup of tea, before hesitantly sitting down across from him at the table. The tea was still too hot to drink, so she grabbed a slice of toast to busy herself with something. But the boy seemed determined to talk to her, as the next thing he did was casting a _Muffliato_ at the two of them. Of course, Severus had taught him the spell, too.

"I know what you did," the boy said calmly. "I've seen it in your eyes when you brought Severus back. They were red."

Hermione closed her eyes in dismay. What was she supposed to say to that? Malfoy did not expect an answer from her though, as he went on: "I'm not judging you. Mind, I almost connected myself to him, out of my own free will. And I doubt how that's how it's been for you. He tricked you, didn't he?"

Hermione nodded, suddenly feeling the tears rise behind her eyes. But she would not cry in front of him, she refused to let herself go that far.

"I've been so stupid," she said, her voice full of regret. But to her surprise, the boy shook his head.

"No, I don't think so," he said, taking a careful sip from his cup. "It could have happened to anyone. You feel ashamed of yourself, I get that. Hell, I've taunted you for years and to be honest, I'm not really comfortable talking to you, right now, knowing what I did, what I called you. But I don't let that get in the way of us talking or doing the right thing."

"The right thing?" Hermione asked, suddenly feeling the need to look at him. "I don't even know what that's supposed to be right now. This whole situation is a mess."

He nodded. "And I guess you'll need all your courage to get through the next few hours. Good thing you're a Gryffindor, huh?"

Hermione could not have agreed more. She knew what he said was right, she felt it in her bones. But that didn't make her any less scared. 


	65. Chapter 65

A.N.: Hey guys, as I promised I'm posting another chapter for you today. The next update might have to wait to Sunday or even Monday, as I will be travelling and might not have time to update or even write.

I hope you'll all have some fantastic days and, of course, lots of fun with my next chapter. Please let me know if you enjoyed it. Your comments mean the world to me.

Chapter 65: Unbreakable

"What are they even talking about in there?" Fred grumbled, staring at the kitchen door grumpily. He'd seen Hermione disappear in there some time ago and it wasn't long before Malfoy followed her, closing the door behind him. It wasn't that he didn't trust the boy, but that didn't mean he wanted him in the same room as Hermione, without him or George being there, ready to punch the git if he dared to taunt their girl again. At least they could be sure that the boy wasn't trying to woo Hermione. She'd probably punch him herself if he tried, after what he's put her through during the last years.

"Calm down," Snape, no _Severus_, said, while he casually lounged on an armchair, pretending to read a book. Or did he read? "Draco has more sense than you give him credit for. And if there's somebody able to understand what happened to her, it's him. He's shared a house with Voldemort before, which thankfully neither of us had to do."

Huh, Snape had called the man _Voldemort_, no longer the Dark Lord. Strange, he could have sworn the man hadn't done that before. He'd file that fact away and think about it later.

"But we'd still understand, if she'd just _talk to us_," Fred said instead, tussling his hair.

Snape looked back at him with unfathomable eyes. "We'll see about that."

It took ages for that damned door to finally open, releasing a gruff-looking Malfoy and Hermione, whose eyes let on that she had been crying. Merlin, if that idiot had hurt her, he'd choke him with his bare hands. Severus must have seen the telling look on his face, as he cast him a warning glance. Yeah, he was probably right, Fred realized, schooling his features back into the typical Weasley-twin-grin. It was just in time, as Hermione looked up the next moment, staring at the three of them like a deer in the headlights. Malfoy strolled past her, elegantly sitting down on the other armchair, seemingly ignoring the rest of them. Instead, his eyes were on Hermione, as he gave her the tiniest of nods.

Fred saw her take a deep breath before her eyes sought him out and she said: "I'm linked to Voldemort. It wasn't on purpose, he tricked me into thinking he was somebody else, a friend helping me get away from this place. He wasn't as you saw." For a moment she paused, her eyes ghosting from one person to the other. Snape's face was an unreadable mask, while he and George stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. Malfoy, on the other hand, looked almost supportive, as he patiently waited for her to continue her story. She finally did so with a shaking voice: "I wanted to go to Hogwarts, as this was the place I hoped to find Severus or at least good enough wards to hide behind. We never made it there, as the Death Eaters were already waiting for us. It looked like they were going to kill him, he was cursed pretty badly by Bellatrix Lestrange. But he got us away and I tried to heal him."

With that, she stopped and stared at them, probably in the hope for some kind of reaction. But for a moment his head was swimming with what she just told them, unable to find the suitable words. His body on the other hand exactly knew what to do. He was at her side with four quick steps, pulling her into his arms without hesitation. To his big surprise, she did not resist, but crushed against his body, burying her head in his chest. George was not far behind though, closing his arms around her from behind and therefore sandwiching her tightly between them. It felt glorious and even though his heart was still heavy with worry for his girl, holding her already made him feel better. They would find a way out of this for her, together.

It was several minutes before Hermione started to move against his chest and just then he remembered that they were not alone in the room. Malfoy had buried himself in a book, decidedly ignoring the three of them. Snape, on the other hand, stared at them with the same, unreadable expression than before. Fred wasn't even sure if the man had moved at all.

Finally, Hermione stepped away from them, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, but he and George stayed right at her sides, as she awaited Snape's reaction. She did not have to wait long.

"I expected that something like that might happen," their former Professor said calmly. "As soon as he took you I knew it was only a matter of time until he'd get what he wanted. I'm sorry for not coming for you faster."

For a moment Hermione just stared at him, frozen in place.

"You're not mad at me?" she finally asked, her voice almost inaudible. But Snape must have heard her anyway, as his eyes suddenly softened at her words.

"Why would I be mad?" he asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

Hermione sighed. "I've been stupid, _again_."

The man snorted, shaking his head with a sad smile on his lips. Then he grabbed his left sleeve and started to push it up. "Look at my arm, Hermione. I joined him out of my own free will and…"

But he didn't get any further, staring at the white skin of his arm in unmasked disbelief. Only then Fred did follow his eyes, realizing that there was not a mark on him. "It's gone…" Severus said, his eyes suddenly wild. "How is this possible?"

Fred did not know the answer and through the twin-bond, he felt that George didn't know either. Hermione, too, shook her head, walking towards the older man with slow steps, while her eyes were focussed on his face. She stepped right next to him before she touched his arm without hesitation. Fred started to ask himself, for how long those two had been friends, because it was quite obvious that they were pretty close.

"You're free of him," Hermione said, carefully running her fingers over the skin of his arm.

The man nodded. "I shouldn't be. You're serving him a lifetime…" he said before his eyes suddenly widened. And that's when Fred understood what had happened.

"You died," he said unnecessarily.

"Thank you for reminding me, Mr Weasley," he said, his voice suddenly back to the old sneer. "I had almost forgotten."

Fred simply answered him with a boyish grin and a shrug. That seemed to somewhat pacify the professor, as he simply started ignoring him, staring at Hermione and his unmarked arm in silence instead.

"What do we do now?" Malfoy finally said, looking at the four of them with pale, grey eyes. His words somehow brought them back to the problem at hand.

Hermione was linked to Voldisnort, who was out to find her. Was that guy maybe even able to tell where she was now?

It was Snape who finally provided the answer, his eyes seriously focussed on Hermione as he did so. "You need to try to break that bond, the sooner the better. I know that's easier said than done, but you have to try."

The girl nodded and suddenly the fire seemed to have returned to her eyes. "I'll do it," she said, her voice suddenly full of determination. Without another word, she stalked off to her room. This time she did not ward the door.

Ssssssss

When Severus came to find Hermione in her room a few hours later, she was sitting on her bed, legs crossed in front of her. Her face had taken on a look of concentration and small beads of sweat had started to form on her forehead. Still, he could feel her frustration vibrating through the air, or probably through their Link.

He watched her for a few moments, hesitant to disturb her concentration, but finally, he decided to catch her attention by clearing his throat. Immediately her eyes snapped open and as soon as she realized her posture seemed to relax.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, taking in her thin frame. The girl probably had not eaten properly for weeks. He could not blame her, as he knew the feeling of not having an appetite too well.

Hermione shook her head. "I know I should be, but I'm not. This whole thing… I just want this nightmare to be over, you know?"

He nodded understandingly, as he had had the exact same wish countless times before. "I know. So how is it going, then?"

His friend shook her head. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do, to be honest. I never tried breaking our bond. The bond to him feels different too, it's strange."

Severus looked at her with contemplative eyes, hesitating only for a moment before he offered: "Do you want me to take a look at it? This would require you to lower your Occlumency shields though, which might be a thing you're no longer comfortable doing."

A flicker of panic ghosted over her face but she quickly hid it away. He had only seen it, as he had expected that sort of reaction from her. It was only natural considering the stuff she might have been through.

"I… don't know," she replied hesitantly. "It's not that I don't trust you but…"

He nodded. "I understand, you know I do. I have more secrets and things to be ashamed of, than anybody else, things I'd _never_ want you to see. I won't pry and for all the things I'll accidentally find I won't judge you, I swear."

Hermione looked at him for a long moment, her eyes completely black through the use of Occlumency. He could see that this was how she survived those last months, how she stayed sane in the presence of a man as dangerous and manipulative as his former master.

"Alright," she finally said, looking at him with a closed-off expression. "I trust you. You're the only one I'm trusting right now, to be honest."

He slowly took her hand, before carefully pressing it. "I won't hurt you, Hermione, I promise."

She nodded and a moment later he saw her lifting her Occlumency shields, layer after layer until there was nothing left of them. It took him all his control not to gasp at the sight. He'd never seen her this vulnerable, her eyes burning with raw emotion and _pain_, that it almost took away his breath. The fire that once lived in her eyes was almost gone, sniffed out by that bastard that had tricked her into binding herself to him. They needed to break that connection, as soon as possible. Otherwise, there was no saying what this greedy madman would do to his friend's spirit and sanity.

"I'm ready," she finally said, her voice sounding small and shaky. He could tell that she had not expected this amount of emotional pain herself, as Occlumency usually helped to bury it or at least keep it at bay. He'd have to hurry to give her the possibility to put herself back together.

"Alright," he said, locking eyes with her, before pulling his own Occlumency shields as high up as he could. If she was really linked to that bastard he couldn't risk him feeling Severus through the bond. Otherwise, he would hunt him down, mercilessly. For all the outside world knew, Severus Snape was dead. He intended to keep it that way.

Still, Hermione had never before seen him like that. Not even during their Occlumency lessons had he locked himself that far away, as that level of control required his absolute concentration and was quite frankly terrifying to watch. He knew that his eyes were completely black now, pupils invisible, all expression gone from his face. He could as well have been an animated puppet, that did not have any feeling for her whatsoever. The reality could not have been farther away, but what he intended to do required his absolute concentration. Whatever he found in her mind, he was not allowed to flinch or pull back, otherwise, the consequences for her could be devastating. But he had promised not to hurt her and he intended to keep that promise. "Look at me Hermione," he commanded, holding her hand firmly with his own one. Hermione did as she was told, her eyes focussing on his own once. She was terrified, her pupils only visible as small pinpoints. "Alright, now take a deep breath and prepare yourself."

In his head, he counted to three, before he connected his mind with hers, no spell necessary due to the connection they had already established.

Entering her mind was nothing like he had expected. He had thought it would be like stepping into a hurricane, her feelings of disappointment and rage dominating her inner self. But what he saw reminded him of a war field, ripped pieces of old memories aimlessly floating around him, while others were strewn on the ground, buried between fragments of books and something that looked like burned wood. He forced himself not to look too closely. What he was looking for could not be found here, as it was not memories he was looking for. The links had to be buried deeper, right at her magical core and this where he needed to head now.

Sssssssss

Having Severus in her mind was nothing like she remembered. Usually, she had been able to see what he was doing, as he had always produced some kind of avatar for her to look at. She had known which of her memories he saw, which parts of her past or thoughts he discovered. Not so now. The man was a ghost, being everywhere and nowhere at the same time and that terrified her more than she was able to tell. Still, he kept his promise not to hurt her. Whatever he did, she was not even able to feel it.

She did not know for how long he was inside her head, as he suddenly felt him, not in her head but close to her heart. With every other person, she would have panicked immediately, as this suddenly felt too close, too intimate or vulnerable, but not with him. Severus somehow felt like he belonged to that part of her as if he had been present of it already. And probably he was… she was linked to him after all.

That's when she suddenly heard his voice echoing through her: "Alright, try to concentrate on our bond," he instructed her and with him right _there_ it was an easy thing to do. The bond flared alive, immediately flooding her with assurance and the knowledge to be accepted, the way she was. She heard a little sigh escaping her lips.

"Alright," Severus said again, his voice calm and soothing. "Now try finding that other bond. Don't be afraid, I'll be right at your side."

It took Hermione all her willpower to let go of the bond to Severus and look for the other one, the one she'd loved to unmake. She found it after a moment of searching, _alive_ and humming with energy. Compared to the bond she had with Severus this one felt different, more static and it seemed like magical energy constantly seemed to flow in both directions.

"Alright Hermione, try to rip this apart, destroy it in any way imaginable to you. It might hurt, but you have to try anyway." He did not have to tell her twice. She didn't want that _thing_ inside her, wanted it gone and no longer feel sullied by it. And so she attacked it with everything she had. But whatever she seemed to try, no matter how great the pain, this thing would not budge and instead clung to her like the parasite it probably was.

"Alright, stop," Severus' voice suddenly interrupted her and a moment later she could feel her friend gone from her mind and strangely his departure seemed to leave an emptiness behind she immediately longed to fill again. But Severus was gone and there was no saying if she'd ever feel him in this way again.

It took her a moment to refocus her eyes onto the room again, finding Severus had moved backwards, sitting on her bed while leaning his back onto the wall. His eyes stared into the distance and to her relief the dark brown was again visible in them, making him seem much more human than before.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice full of affection for her.

She nodded. "I think so yeah. What about you?" she asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Something was wrong, she realized as for some reason Severus' eyes would not look at her. "Did I hurt you in some way? Or…" _what did you see?_, she added in her mind.

For a moment he did not answer, his eyes continuing to stare emptily into the room. Then, suddenly he looked at her with a heavy sigh, his hands carefully taking her right hand into his. "I'm so sorry I did not come for you earlier, Hermione, or for at least warn you. You've even _asked_ me about this man and all I told you was, that I did not know him. I've been an _idiot_, Hermione. _Of course_, Voldemort would never have let another man live in the same house as you, he wanted you for himself and he would have _never_ risked losing you to somebody else. I should have _known_ it's him, I've served him for _years_."

She looked at her friend with wide eyes. This was not the reaction she had expected from him. "It's alright, Severus. We'll fix this and then.."

But she didn't get any further, as he suddenly leapt from the bed, shouting: "It's _not_ alright Hermione. We can't fix this, not this…"

He started pacing the room, tiredly rubbing his face with his hands. "Your bond to him is permanent, he closed the link. It can no longer be undone."

"No," Hermione gasped in horror, as her head started to comprehend what he was saying. "This can't be, I didn't… we didn't…" she stuttered, her cheeks growing pink. But Severus just shook his head with a heavy sigh.

"There are other ways to close the bond, Hermione. He must have found a way to do it, without you being aware of it. I'm sorry," he said, staring at her in compassion. "But it looks like you have an unbreakable bond to the Dark Lord. You'll be connected to him for the rest of your life, no matter what we do."

It felt like a weight had suddenly been dropped on her chest, making it impossible for her to breathe. Her heart hammered in her chest, while she stared at her friend with wide eyes. There was no getting away from Voldemort, not ever. Through the Link, he would be able to find her, no matter where she tried to hide. And even if she locked herself away in a house hidden by the Fidelius Charm, he could still access her magic, squeeze her empty over and over again, without her being able to stop him. Without even realizing her mistake she had shackled herself to the evilest man alive, sealing not only her fate but probably the one of the whole wizarding world. 


	66. Chapter 66

A.N.: Hello guys, I'm back! Travelling is nice but I'm usually happy to be back at home. ;-) As I promised you, here's another update for this story. I hope you're still enjoying this. I still enjoy writing this, but the current chapters are a little difficult for me. But I hope I'll muddle through.

Chapter 66: The darkness within

Lord Voldemort could feel his servant's eyes on him, focussing on him with a mix of admiration and fear. His new body had been a surprise to them, as no one but Severus had been aware of his plans. And the traitor was dead. By providing him with that renewed body he had earned himself a painless death, which was more than he deserved.

"We could not find the girl," Bella said, eyes wide and full of longing. Her voice was quivering in anticipation but if she hoped to earn herself another round of Crucio, she was mistaken. He was magically connected to his lioness now and he would not sully this bond by casting Unforgivables, at least not without his Queen's knowledge. He had just broken her trust and it would be hard enough to let her realize that it had been for her best without adding to it.

"She's not at Hogwarts." Nott continued with a deep bow. "The Ministry seems to not even know of her escape as they're still focussed on Dumbledore and Bella's mysterious disappearance from Hogwarts. They seem to have shifted their attention on Dumbledore for now which is favourable for us."

The Dark Lord smiled. It was about time that somebody looked into that man's actions as Dumbledore was as scrupulous as he himself. Only that Lord Voldemort had never hidden what he was and what he did whereas Dumbledore hid behind Hogwarts walls and a grandfatherly smile and let everybody believe that he was a kind old man. The man had never been able to fool him, not even as a boy. As a child that man had given him the creeps and he'd kept his distance from him until he was sure he'd be able to defend himself. "Good, this will keep the old fool busy. The longer he's unaware that your Queen is out there the better."

His followers nodded, devotion written across their faces. But that didn't mean anything did it? Snape had still been a traitor in the end and he hadn't even suspected. Who would be the next to turn his back on him, to steal his Queen? Not that she could be stolen any longer… And suddenly he realized that a demonstration of the Link and the powers coming with it was in order. He would let the world know that the Open Link and her power were _his_ now and if he did it skilfully, he could even get his queen back in the same turn.

"For us, it is time to take the next step to conquer the wizarding world," he said, getting up from his throne to underline his words. "By linking myself to the Open Link I have gained enough power to finally make our dream come true. The wizarding world will be at our feet, my friends and I'll rule about wizards and muggles alike, finally showing them their rightful places."

At first, there was a murmur amongst his followers before the first ones started cheering and praising their master.

He looked at them with a smile that was full of promises. "Together, my friends, we'll finally take what is rightfully ours. And we'll start tomorrow by taking over the Ministry."

Ssssssss

Hermione was breaking down in front of him. Knowing that she had shackled herself to the Dark Lord was too much for her, as she had suddenly gone white as a sheet and started to tremble all over. He knew her feelings well, as he had experienced them first hand when he held Lily's corpse in his own hand, knowing that it was his fault she was dead. How long would it take until the first people started dying again and Hermione would be eaten up by guilt like he had been? What would remain of her spirit, when the Dark Lord had her back at his side? But no, he wouldn't let it come to this, not as long there was still breath in him.

"I can't breathe," Hermione wheezed before he saw her sway sideways, in danger of falling to the side. It was probably only a matter of seconds until she passed out and considering she only had eaten one meal since arriving yesterday after Merlin knew how many days of starving, it wasn't really a surprise.

He was back at her side immediately stabilizing her with his hands from behind. "It's alright Hermione, just try taking deep breaths. I know it's difficult," he murmured, carefully holding her in place. "I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you," he went on but she was shaking like a leaf. How was he supposed to help her through this, to comfort her? He had always avoided feelings and knew next to nothing about how to comfort a person. He'd never had somebody to comfort him, not even his mother who had always tried to keep her distance to not spark his father's jealousy. Should he send for the twins? They'd surely know how to do this, how to comfort her. But would they really? Would they even be able to understand what she went through? For somebody who had not been in this position, it was hard to understand, almost impossible. He knew how it felt to realize that there was no way out, that he had sealed his fate by making a grievous mistake. And he knew the guilt that came with it, the wish to die…

At least she did as she was told and took slow, deep breaths while she was leaning against him. It wouldn't be long until his arms went numb, which was why he decided to shift his position and climb back onto the bed with her. Luckily he'd warded the door as soon as he entered the room. He did not fancy being found cuddling with a student in bed - no not a student, he wasn't a teacher any longer, his death had at least freed him from that obligation.

"But he'll try to find me. Merlin, you know how dangerous he is. And even if we're safe here, what about the others? How am I supposed to protect them?"

Again he was reminded of his younger self, shackling himself to another master in the hope to protect the woman he loved. And suddenly he knew how to help her to at least feel understood.

"You can't," he said, pulling her into an embrace from behind. "I had to learn this the hard way. Let me tell you a story, a story of a much younger and much more stupid Severus Snape."

For a moment Hermione did not react. She simply sat there, limp in his arms staring unseeingly into the slowly darkening room. Merlin, was it already starting to dawn again? Finally, he felt her nod against his chest, before she turned her head to look up at him with eyes full of uncertainty. "I… you don't have to…" she whispered, but that only caused him to shake his head with a sad smile.

"I know I don't and believe me, it's a story I would love to undo or at least forget. But that's just it, Hermione. There are mistakes you can't take back, no matter how much you want to."

She nodded, her eyes seeking out his face as she did. "I already know you took the Dark Mark Severus, you don't have to tell me why," she said and cast him a sad smile.

He couldn't help but smile at her innocence. "This is not about me taking the Dark Mark Hermione, that's just how my story began." He cradled her a bit closer, realizing that he was doing it as much for his own comfort as for his. "You already know my father was an abusive bastard. I grew up in a house full of violence and poverty, which often caused me to stroll through the neighbourhood in the intention to spend as little time at home as possible." Hermione nodded again before she turned her head back and relaxed in his arms, her breathing starting to slow down. Good.

"This is when I met my first and for a long time only friend, the girl I started and never stopped to love… her name was Lily Evans."

He felt her stiffen in his arms, as she started to comprehend his words. But he did not let this distract him and he hastily continued his story. "I told her she was a witch, told her about Hogwarts as I already knew about magic from my mother. Lily… did not judge me for my poor clothing or my dirty face, instead, she listened to my tales for hours before asking millions of questions. She made me feel… special, respected, which was a completely new experience for me. It did not take long for us to go to Hogwarts together, only that we were sorted into different houses and before long made different sorts of friends."

He let the story flow from there, his mind bringing up more and more memories of his childhood and youth. It was a painful thing for him to do, to relive all the pranks and teasing and the end of his friendship to Lily. But as he told Hermione it was like a weight was suddenly lifted from his chest, a weight he no longer was aware was even there.

"Oh Severus," she whispered, turning around in his arms before hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry, I can't believe she could not forgive you for calling her by that slur."

He smiled sadly into her hair. "Our friendship was too far gone already and we had both chosen different paths in our lives. I was on my way becoming a Death Eater and she knew. Back then Voldemort almost openly recruited at school, using Slytherin prefects to watch out for potential recruits. My talent for potions and spell crafting was something that caught his eye and he was only too willing to pay my apprenticeship for becoming a Potions Master. But that wasn't the only reason I joined him. My father hadn't been helpful in installing trust and respect for muggles within me. I despised him for how he treated me and my mother and I projected these feelings on the rest of the Muggle world. In short: I believed in the ideals he proclaimed."

Hermione nodded calmly against his chest. "And so you took the Dark Mark," she said, sounding like she expected this to be the conclusion of his story. How wrong she was.

"As soon as I left Hogwarts, yes. And for a while, everything seemed as it should be. That was until I accidentally listened in to a prophecy, a prophecy concerning a child that is born to be Voldemort's equal, having a power the Dark Lord knows not." He continued telling her the whole, gruesome story. His realisation that the prophecy was about Lily's son, his attempts to save his friend by shackling himself to a second master. When he finally ended his story by telling Hermione how she found his dead friend in the ruins of her house, the girl broke in his arms, openly crying while clinging to his chest.

"Oh Severus, I'm so sorry…" she whispered, looking up at him with warm brown eyes.

He looked back at her with a sad smile. "I did not plan to continue living after  
Voldemort was proclaimed dead. I did not think I could live with all the guilt I had laden on my soul. I am the reason Harry is an orphan Hermione and the boy will never know."

"I will not tell him, I'll never tell a soul what you just told me," she swore, locking eyes with him. "This is between you and me."

Severus nodded. He knew that he could trust her, otherwise, he would have never opened up to her. "I know, Hermione. I trust you. But do you understand why I told you my story? You aren't the only one who made grave mistakes and like me, you'll have to live with them." He chose his words carefully, as he knew there was another option for her, another out. He had more than once thought about ending his own life back then, a route he did not want her to take, no matter how tempting it was.

"What if I can't? How did you find the strength to keep going?" she asked, confirming his fears. This girl was not staying alone tonight and not the following ones until he could be sure she was stable again.

"Dumbledore reminded me that there was still Harry, an orphan, the Dark Lord was out to kill. I knew he wasn't really dead. You saw what happens to the Dark Mark if one really dies. The Mark never vanished, it only faded a bit, meaning he was still out there, somewhere. I lived on because there was still someone who might need me one day and today I'm glad I did."

"_I_ need you," Hermione immediately said, looking at him with wide, desperate eyes. It encouraged him to hold her even closer.

"And I'll be there for you, all the way through. That's the difference, Hermione. Back then I was alone, but you are not. I'll be right at your side and I've got the feeling I won't be the only one." He looked at her with an encouraging smile, but he could feel the uneasiness radiating from her.

"You said I won't be able to protect you, or anyone I love. What am I supposed to do then?" she asked.

Severus smiled down at her with sad eyes. "Don't make the same mistakes I made. Stop pushing the ones you love away and instead keep them as close to you as you can. That's the only advice I have for you, Hermione, but believe me, it's a good one."

Hermione sighed in his arms. "Do you think they'll still want me, after learning that the Link can no longer be broken?", she asked, her voice full of uncertainty.

He looked down at her with a small smile. "That's for them to decide, Hermione. All you can do is to finally talk to them… properly. I don't believe they will hurt you and if they do I'll poison them." He said those words with a smile, causing Hermione to finally smile back at him. There was still hope for her. He just needed her to realize that.

Ssssssss

"Stop staring at her door," Malfoy told them in an unnerved tone. They had tried to play a game of Exploding Snap to calm their nerves, while the pale blonde boy had been reading a book in one of the armchairs. But their eyes had repeatedly ghosted towards Hermione's closed door like a look from them would finally cause the damned thing to spring open. But it didn't.

" 'S not that easy," Fred grumbled. "I'm worried about her. Breaking a Link to the darkest wizard of all time can't be easy. What if something went wrong?"

Malfoy sighed. "Severus is with her. He's a specialist in mind magic and an excellent potions master. The worst thing that can happen is that they are unable to break that Link."

The idiot was probably right, but that didn't change their wish to be there for her. But apart from their hug in the morning they did not have much chance to do that.

Fred cursed. He needed to distract himself. This game of Exploding Snap was not working. "You knew Hermione was connected to You-Know-Who didn't you?" he asked, in the attempt to start a conversation with the younger Slytherin. Surprisingly it worked. With a sigh, he put his book aside and looked with them with a neutral expression.

"I strongly suspected, after I saw and heard her reaction after waking up in the hide-out. Then she brought back Snape, which must have cost her an enormous amount of energy, more than she could have brought up herself. Lastly, there were her eyes, when she looked up at you during the process…"

The twins nodded, a shudder running down their backs. "They were red," George said, his face grim. "You think she channelled You-Know-Who's magical energy, don't you?"

"I do. The link to him might have been the only possible way to save Severus. It requires an enormous amount of power to do such a thing," Malfoy said, his eyes full of unspoken thoughts. It was obvious that the boy brooded over something, but it was unlikely that he would share those particular thoughts with them. It was already a miracle that they had something like a civilised discussion together.

"Yeah, guess that's true. Kind of gives me mixed feelings about this whole bonding-to-Voldisnort-thing," Fred said contemplatively. "Couldn't she use the Link to bring the bastard down? If she could take his energy once, she could do it again, right?"

Malfoy sighed. "Unfortunately this works both ways. This time she might have caught him by surprise, but next time? He's the stronger wizard and the energy drain works in both directions. As soon as he sees her as a danger, this will get ugly," the boy warned, staring at them darkly. "Apart from that, I'm pretty sure Granger doesn't want his energy running through her body. She wants no part of him, that's pretty obvious."

George shuddered. The imagination of having Voldemort's magic run through him made him sick and he hadn't spent weeks in the man's company trying to manipulate him. The idea must seem ten times worse for Hermione. "Alright, no using the Link. Then let's hope Severus and Hermione are able to break it. Otherwise, we're fucked."

Fred nodded and not even Malfoy felt the need to contradict him.


	67. Chapter 67

A.N.: Hey guys, here's another chapter for you. I hope you are ready for some fluff. Because Hermione deserves some and I think we do, too. ;-)

I hope you're all still here and enjoying this. You've been suspiciously silent on the last chapters.

Chapter 67: Pulling you close

Hermione took Snape's advice and knocked onto the twin's door after everybody had retreated for the evening. Her friend's story still resonated in her, made her heartache for him and the love he had never had. Suddenly she was seeing Harry's past from a whole different perspective and she couldn't help but ask herself what it had been like for Lily. Had she known that Severus was in love with her? Probably. But Hermione would never know for sure.

It was only a moment until the door was opened, revealing George clad in a checkered pyjama, ready for bed.

"Hermione," he said, a surprised smile on his face. Instantly she felt a flutter of nervousness in her belly. Severus had given her the advice to not make the same mistakes he had made. Only that it felt much safer to keep those two at arm's length and not think about what she still felt for them.

"Could I come in for a bit?" she asked hesitantly and the boy immediately stepped aside to invite her in.

" 'Course you can," she suddenly heard Fred say behind his brother. "We told you we'd be there if you felt like talking or enjoying some more Weasley cuddles." He winked at her playfully.

Hermione nodded and stepped into the room. It was bigger than hers but surprisingly it only held one huge bed in the middle of the room. But then she remembered that the twins had a similar sleeping arrangement at Grimmauld Place and asked herself if this was what they secretly preferred.

She walked a few steps into the room and took a hesitant look at the small sofa to her right before she realized that she preferred to stand. Fred and George didn't question her decision, just stepped in front of her with an encouraging smile on their faces. "So, how did it go?" George asked before she had the chance to find the right words to start this conversation. Now she realized that there would probably be no chance of stalling for her. Of course, those two wanted to know if she had managed to break that damned link.

She sighed. "Not well. Severus says the link is a permanent one. We don't know how he did it, but somehow Voldemort managed to make the connection to him unbreakable." There, she said it. Now she braced herself for their reaction.

For a moment the twins seemed stunned into silence, while their brown eyes studied her with obvious concern. "Are you… alright, love?" George finally asked her and to her surprise, he even took a step into her direction.

She shook her head. "Not really, no. It's like I'm suddenly trapped in some sort of nightmare with no way out and to be honest, I don't know what to do now."

The twins nodded. "Understandable," Fred said, looking at her with an inclined head. "But you're not alone in this. If this is a nightmare, we're right here at your side, alright?"

Hermione stared at them with a sad smile. "I know and I really appreciate your friendship, boys. What you did for me…"

But Fred interrupted her by shaking his head. "We _love_ you, Hermione, that's why we did it. We have for a long time and we never stopped to," he said, locking his eyes with her. "I'm sorry if that makes you feel uncomfortable or pressured because that's the last thing we want."

George nodded. "You're holding all the cards, love. But we swore to each other to tell you when we next saw you. And luckily we got the chance to do it."

Hermione was speechless. That had been the last thing she had expected from this conversation. Support? Yes. Pity? Definitely. But a declaration of love? Not in her wildest dreams. And still, she could not deny that her heart had started beating wildly in her chest at Fred's words. "But I'm linked to Voldemort now…" she said uneasily, looking at them with sad eyes.

George sighed. "And that's why you don't want to be with us?" he asked, looking at her with inquiring eyes.

She looked back at him with a stunned expression. "What? No! I…"

But she didn't get any further.

"Good," Fred said, smiling at her. "Because this is not about some sort of _Link_, Hermione. We want to be with you because we fancy the pants off of you…"

George nodded. "We were never interested in linking with you, we just want you for who you are and not for what you can do… if that makes any sense."

It did and for some reason, those words were, what finally broke her restraint and made her close the distance between the three of them. With a tiny sob, she threw herself at George, closing her arms around his neck, before she pulled him into a desperate kiss. At first, he seemed totally stunned by her reaction, but not even a second later he kissed her back with a happy smile playing on his lips. His fingers sunk into her hair, playing with her curls, while his mouth eagerly showed her that their words hadn't been a lie. He really wanted her, no matter whom she linked herself with, and showed that by eagerly exploring her mouth with his tongue.

It didn't take long though until he broke the kiss and Hermione couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment when he suddenly pulled back. But then she saw the smile on his lips before he stepped aside and Fred took his place, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. A moment later she was kissed by him, the hunger and fire in his kiss taking her breath away.

"I love you," he whispered, pulling her tightly in his arms. Then his lips were back at hers, ravishing her mouth with an intensity that made her dizzy. Why had she driven those boys away in the past? Looking back at their younger selves now, her reasons for not being with them seemed almost laughable. What would have happened, if she hadn't driven them away the last time if she'd simply been with them and closed the link? Yes, she could not have done so with both of them, but would it really have mattered? She could have still _been_ with both of them, been happy and safe…

"Stop thinking," Fred murmured against her mouth, petting her cheek with his thumb. That was, when she suddenly felt George behind her, his stubble tickling her neck before she heard him whisper into her ear: "Right now there's only you, Freddie and me. The world outside can wait for a while."

Hermione nodded into the kiss, causing Fred to smile happily against her mouth. She couldn't help but smile back before a happy little sigh escaped her mouth.

"So you, Georgie and I? This is really happening?" Fred asked, seeking out her eyes with his.

She nodded hesitantly. "If that's really what you want?"

"More than anything," George whispered from behind, while Fred kissed her again before saying: "Merlin, yes."

"Then this is really happening," Hermione said a disbelieving smile on her face. For once her head did not protest and her heart sang with joy over the realization that Fred and George Weasley were finally hers and they'd probably snog her the whole night if that's what she wanted to do. And right now that sounded like a fabulous idea.

Ssssssss

He had sensed his queen's feelings several times through the bond now. There had been shame, fear, despair and even hate on one occasion and he could have sworn that the latter was directed towards him. It had felt like she was trying to shake off the bond between them, attacked it with a vigour that made him smile. His little lioness could rage all she wanted, the link connecting them was permanent now, no matter how much she tried to break it. The two of them were meant for each other and luckily there was time enough for her to come to that same conclusion.

He was just about to ready himself for bed when there was a new wave of feeling from her side. Only that those feelings were nothing like the ones he had felt from her before. There were happiness and _love_… Why was she feeling love right now? For whom? She was _his_ now, didn't she realize that?

Obviously not, as the feelings oozing through the bond got more and more clear with every minute. It was almost too much for him. And then her lust hit him like a brick wall. Lust! No, that was the last thing he ever wanted her to be feeling when he was not nearby.

She was with somebody she loved and she was definitely enjoying herself. He snarled in impotent fury as he focused on her emotions. This was not how it was supposed to be, what was supposed to happen. He should have never let her escape with this polyjuiced imposter, that wasn't worthy of being close to her, let alone touch her. Then he remembered there had been three polyjuiced Snapes and the realization caused him to destroy a nearby table. Those twins! They must have swooped in now that Snape was dead. Probably taking advantage of the state his Queen was in to worm their way into her heart.

He'd have to get her back, soon or he'd slowly start to go mad. Getting these feelings from her and knowing they weren't directed towards him was torture and not in a good way. He needed to finally find her and convince her that he was the one she should love and desire. And then he'd find out who this other person was she loved and let him or her disappear. Luckily Nagini was always eager to be of service when it came to that.

Ssssssss

"I take it their reunion is going well," Draco said, staring at his sour face with a knowing smile. They'd only been sitting in the living room together for a few moments until he had suddenly started to get those feelings from her. They weren't directed towards him, thank goddess, but being able to sense them still felt _wrong_.

Severus looked at his godson with a sigh. That cheeky bugger really was a good observer. He had always prided himself with the knowledge that he was hard to read, but the young Malfoy knew him for a long time and was able to interpret the tiniest signs on his face.

"Obviously," he replied dryly and forced himself not to look into the direction of the twin's room. What happened there was really none of his business. But Merlin, as soon as he started feeling lust from her, he would run to his room and drown a bottle of dreamless sleep. Because that was more than he could take.

"Good for her," Draco said neutrally, staring at him with a knowing smile on his face. "She deserves some moments of happiness before it all goes south. It's only a matter of time until Voldemort starts to up his game. And when that happens…"

Severus nodded. "I know, I've been there when it happened the last time. Last time he was obsessing over Potter and in his desire to find the boy he extinguished several wizarding and non-magical families. I've got the feeling this time it will be even worse."

Draco looked at him with a serious expression. "You know that there's a way to end this, to break the bond," he said, looking at his godfather with a carefully blank expression on his face.

Severus nodded grimly. "We both know it's what the Headmaster would suggest to her, as soon as he realized that she had closed the link with the wrong counterpart. The only way to break that link now is, when one of the two dies and as that bastard is almost impossible to kill right now…"

Draco nodded. "Do you think she's aware of that _solution_?"

He sighed. "She might not be right now as it was only a bit more than a day since she discovered her mistake. But she will get to that realisation pretty soon, I fear, which is when we'll have to start watching her."

"You think she'd do it?" his godson asked in disbelief.

At that, a humourless smile crept on his face. "Right now I don't know what Hermione would do or would not so. But she is a Gryffindor at heart and those tend to do the noble but stupid thing."

It was the sad truth, Severus realized. It was a good thing he was still linked with her, this way he'd know when she got _those kinds of thoughts_. Maybe those twins were exactly what his friend needed now. If there was somebody able to get her through this time and still see the good things, then it was them. Severus had lost his optimism long ago which probably made him the wrong person to still let her see some sort of perspective in this whole mess.

Ssssssss

George looked at the girl in his arms and couldn't help but smile. They hadn't moved a metre since she had come into their room, much too busy snogging the breath out of her. Merlin, it felt good to finally be able to do that.

Hermione tasted like tea and smelled like cinnamon, he realized and now and then tiny sighs escaped her mouth in between their kisses, that made his heart flutter with happiness. They were finally doing this and George didn't think he wanted to stop anytime soon. But considering what Hermione had probably been through, that might not be the best idea.

"You alright love?" he asked after he managed to tear himself away from her mouth after god knew how long. For a moment Hermione didn't reply, but she opened her eyes and stared up at him with a dazed expression in them. Then she nodded with a shy smile, her cheeks colouring prettily.

"Good," Fred said from behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder while leaning his head against hers. "Tell us if we overdo it, alright? We don't want you to feel uneasy or overwhelmed, alright? With there being two of us that probably an easy thing to happen."

For some reason that caused Hermione to smile before she stepped away from them with her caramel-brown eyes sparkling vibrantly. "I'm alright," she assured them. "I know you'd stop right away if I told you so."

" 'Course we would. This whole thing 's supposed to be fun for all of us, right?" George asked, searching her eyes with a smile on his face.

Hermione nodded. "You see? So why would I feel overwhelmed? This is nice."

"Nice, huh?" Fred asked, moving around her with a challenging grin on his face.  
"Oh, I think we can do better than nice. Don't you think, Georgie?"

"Absolutely," George agreed, just as he saw his brother sweep the girl off her feet, carrying the squealing and giggling girl into the direction of their twin bed. He followed them with an excited flutter in his belly. The three of them cuddled together in a huge bed, was everything he had wished for in the last months. Why couldn't they just stay here forever, letting the world outside care for itself?

Fred carefully dropped their girl into the middle of the bed before crawling onto the covers with a wide grin on his face. "Tell us to stop if this is getting too much for you," he said before pulling her into another lingering kiss. George climbed onto the mattress from the other side, watching the two of them for a few seconds, before he crawled closer and started caressing Hermione's shoulders and arms with his hands. He heard her make a small moan into Fred's mouth and took it as a sign that she liked what they just did. Good, because if this was going by him they could continue like this for the rest of the night.


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 68: To the ground 

Usually, Lord Voldemort would have decided to take over the Ministry from within. But with Lucius … indisposed and his queen on the run from him with vultures circling her and hoping to put their claws into her caused him to decide on a more direct approach. To shoo those greedy bastards away from his queen he would have to demonstrate to them that the Gryffindor lioness was his now and that Lord Voldemort was not someone to be crossed. 

Fortunately one of those greedy bastards sat right at the top of the Ministry of Magic, able to command all the Auror forces needed to find his queen. Lord Voldemort would take him down publicly and make an example of what happened to those who tried to steal what was rightfully his.

He carefully prepared himself in the bathroom, let the house elves bring his most impressive black robes. Now that he had his old body back it was finally time to show himself to the wizarding world as they needed to see their future ruler. There was no doubt that the press would write about today's events and he wanted the pictures taken of him to be most favourable. His lioness, wherever she was, would surely follow the media and it was vital that she was reminded of his virtues. And he knew that she had been attracted by his new looks, so attracted that she no longer trusted herself to follow what her head told her to do. Now that this decision had been unconsciously made by her, she no longer had to hold back and could finally follow her instincts. He only had to awaken them once more.

As soon as he was in the throne room he started to call his followers, all of them. Together with the new recruits, they were an impressive little army that lusted to finally shed some blood again. Today they would be allowed to satisfy that urge with whoever dared to stand up against them.

"Today, my friends, is the day of our victory," he proclaimed, arms raised at his sides. He'd seen that gesture in a church, which he had been forced to visit as a child. The ideas proclaimed there were, of course, ridiculous, but some of the ongoings had been a useful inspiration for his own treatment of his followers later on. "Today we will make the first step for conquering the wizarding world and we'll start by tearing down this disgrace of a ministry. Follow me, my friends, and be part of our victory."

He just wanted to make the first step down the stairs leading up to his throne when he saw it, a small colourful beetle sitting on the back of his arm. He didn't need to pull out his wand to freeze the little escapee with a spell, catching it before it fell to the floor. There she was, Rita Skeeter, lying on the palm of his hand, looking up at him with her large, shining beetle eyes.

"Rita Skeeter," he said with a dangerous smile gracing his lips. "And there I thought we would never meet again. Did you think you could listen in to one of our meetings without getting to feel the consequences of such an action?" he said and for a moment he felt the urge to just crush the annoying woman with his bare hands. He imagined the satisfying crunch that would make. But no, the woman belonged to his queen. He could give her to his lioness as a present when he finally welcomed her back into his arms. Until then he would see if the woman could make herself useful and therefore earn her life back. 

"Fortunately for you, I and my friends are quite busy, as you might have heard. Therefore I will take you along on our little trip, enabling you to be a witness to our victory," he exclaimed, tightly holding up the animagus between his thumb and his index finger. "Afterwards I'll give you the chance to prove your worth by writing a glowing article about me and my queen. If you do well, you'll live…" he said, leaving the other option open to her imagination. He was sure she'd come to the right conclusion on her own. Openly killing her would probably upset his queen, but there was always the option of letting that infamous woman silently disappear.

Ssssssss

It was Dolores' first day back at the minister's office. It had been a hard recovery for her, as memories of her visit to the cave - as she called that horrible place in her head - came haunting her day and night. She still could not sleep in the dark and had difficulties drinking any form of liquid, no matter how much sugar she put into it. But the St. Mungo's staff declared her recovered and she was eager to finally return to the minister's side.

She needed to warn him about that maniac that was out to conquer the wizarding world with the girl at his side. It was only a matter of time until he broke her will. Hermione Granger was nothing but a bookworm and teacher's pet and unfortunately easy to impress with knowledge and magic of any kind. When that happened and he finally had access to her magic he would start his mad plan of conquering the wizarding world. And when this happened they needed to be prepared.

Unfortunately, she did not even make it to the Minister's office until things started going south. It was just an hour into her working day when she suddenly heard a turmoil outside of her door. There was the unmistaken sound of spellfire paired with the shouts of the Auror guards that had been permanently stationed in front of her and the minister's door. It wasn't long until she heard their screams of pain, making Dolores realize that she had made a big mistake. She should have never come back to the ministry but fled somewhere safe and warm, somewhere far away from Britain. Now it was too late, she realized in dismay, as the door to her office was suddenly pulled open, revealing a handsome, young man she had never seen before. 

"Dolores Umbridge," he said, an evil smile spreading on his face. "Isn't that a happy coincidence? My queen will be so pleased to have you back," he said, pointing his wand at her. That was when she realized she would probably not die today - her fate was much worse than that.

Ssssssss

Hermione felt warm and safe and snuggly. For the first time in months, it was like she floated in a bubble of happiness, instead of being weighed down by her problems or sorrows. Yes, her problems were still there, but right now it felt like they didn't matter for this moment. And suddenly it felt like she could finally _breathe_ again. 

With a comfortable sigh, she shifted in her bed only to realize that it wasn't empty. There was somebody next to her, two somebodies actually.

"Morning sunshine," George mumbled next to her before she felt his arms snake around her waist and pull her close like a teddy bear. Fred, who seemed to have slept on her other side, seemed to be already awake. He had his head propped up on his hand and stared at them with a happy smile.

"Sleep well?" he asked, before reaching out for her to caress her cheek with his hand.

Hermione nodded with a smile. She hadn't actually planned to fall asleep in their bed and arms, but somehow there never seemed the right moment to say good night. Apart from that, it didn't seem like the twins actually_ wanted_ her to leave. And so she simply stayed until she must have fallen asleep in their arms.

"Good," Fred said before crawling closer and softly kissing her onto her lips. "Because I do smell breakfast out there, which kind of seems like a fantastic idea."

Hermione giggled. "Hungry much, are we?" she teased, a happy flutter in her belly. "Well then, up with you. I do fancy a cup of tea myself," she admitted.

Fred kissed her again, happiness and mischief radiating from his eyes before he leapt out of bed like a bouncy ball. Hermione heard George chuckle behind her before he pulled her closer to his chest.

"Go ahead, twin o' mine," he shouted, before nuzzling Hermione's neck with his nose. "I need some more cuddles from my glorious girlfriend before I can stomach Snape glaring at me over breakfast."

Hermione giggled, tickled by his breath that let goosebumps spread over the skin of her neck. Severus was the one who had sent her to them, but that was a fact she would not mention to either of them.

Sssssssss

When Fred entered the kitchen, Snape was already there, expertly turning pancakes while clad in a Slytherin green apron. It was the strangest sight and when his former potions master greeted him with a friendly expression that Fred couldn't help but ask himself if he was still asleep. But then he took the first bite of pancake and realized that he couldn't be because they tasted freaking delicious. 

George and Hermione joined them shortly after, Hermione wearing a sleepy but happy smile on her face. It was a sight that made his heart sing with joy.

"You look rested," Snape said neutrally, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that was hard to miss. Hermione good-naturedly rolled her eyes at him.

"I am," she said simply, before taking another bite of her pancake, looking totally unfazed by Snape's unasked question.

The man chuckled. "Very well then." 

For a moment there was silence, but suddenly the light-heartedness of the moment was interrupted when Hermione's fork noisily dropped onto her place. Fred's head snapped around and saw that she had gone white as a sheet, looking at the four of them with eyes wide in panic.

"I suddenly don't feel very well," she mumbled before he already saw her sway on her chair. To his other side, he heard Snape curse and from the corner of his eye, he saw him hastily jump to his feet.

"Catch her," he shouted running towards the sofa, before sitting down on it with a groan. "She'll pass out at any moment."

Fred stared at the man in confusion, but George was immediately at his feet, supporting Hermione who looked at them with panicked eyes.

"What's happening?" she asked, her voice shaking with fear. It was the same question echoing through his and George's head.

"He's draining your energy," Snape explained calmly, although he suddenly sounded somewhat strange. Why did he look like he was going to pass out at any moment?

Hermione looked at her former professor in confusion. "How do you know?" she asked, now leaning more and more heavily against his brother.

Snape groaned. "Because you're siphoning mine."

For a tiny moment, his words didn't make sense at all, but then all puzzle pieces started to fall into place. Of course. They had known that Hermione must already have linked herself to someone. Fred had seen her use her power as Open Link in the ministry after all. Why hadn't they seen this any earlier? Snape got himself _killed_ in the attempt to rescue Hermione. Of course, it was he, whom she linked herself with.

It only took a moment for Snape to sag to the side, eyes closing with a pained groan. Hermione followed shortly after, her eyes rolling back in her head before she fell against George. His brother expertly lifted her from her chair, carrying her into the direction of their shared bedroom. Fred's eyes followed them in concern.

"I'll stay with Severus," Malfoy said, carefully sitting down next to his godfather. His face was grim but he didn't look a bit surprised by what was happening.

"You've known all along they were linked, didn't you?" Fred asked, unable to suppress the reproachful look in his eyes.

Malfoy shrugged. "It was kind of obvious," he replied, his eyes not leaving the still form of the unconscious man on the sofa.

The redhead sighed. "Does this mean You-Know-Who has access to both of their magic? He can drain both of them?" he asked, even though he already guessed the answer. And he didn't like it one bit.

"Looks like it. Which means somewhere outside things are getting ugly right now."

Fred cursed, his mind wandering to his family that was in the Order and who was most likely facing that evil bastard right now. Merlin, he wished he could be at their side now, supporting them in what they did. But he had given his promise, he could not leave Hermione behind now.

"Merlin, it's bad enough he can pull Hermione's magic, but Snape's as well. Isn't there anything we can do?" he asked, feeling helpless. 

Malfoy sighed. "Right now? There's nothing we can do. He can siphon them whenever he likes, can squeeze their magical energy from them like juice from an orange."

Fred groaned. "This sounds like we're fucked," he said, pulling his hair.

Malfoy looked at him with a humourless smile. "Pretty much, yeah."

Sssssssss

His queen's magic flooded him, ran through his body and veins and it felt _glorious_. It felt much cleaner than his own one, running through his veins in the most intoxicating and arousing way. It felt heavenly. Paired with his own magic those fools at the ministry didn't stand a chance. His spells broke through shields like they were made out of thin paper and threw Aurors through the air like they were nothing but rag dolls. There was no one who was able to stop him now, not even Dumbledore that old fool. Part of him hoped that the man would make an appearance today so that he could wipe the floor with him and kill him in front of his pitiful band of Gryffindors that called themselves the _Order of Phoenix_. What a laughable name. None of them would rise again if they dared to cross him today. He was Lord Voldemort the Conqueror of Death and he would teach them a lesson.

Ssssssss

"How is she?" Malfoy asked them, staring at Hermione's small, unmoving figure from the doorway.

George shook his head with a tired sigh. "She's still unconscious," he said and by the look on Malfoy's face, it was the same with Snape, who was still lying on one of the sofas.

Malfoy nodded and turned around without another word. When he later strolled through the living room, the boy was back to the sofa, his aristocratic nose buried into another, thick book. George could see his grey eyes eagerly skimming the pages. What was he reading anyway? He tried to focus on the title, but somehow the letters on the back of the book started to blur when he did so. Strange.

He'd confront the boy with it later. For now, he just wanted some tea and toast before he hurried back to Hermione's side. Malfoy could wait. Hermione needed him right now and that Slytherin didn't look like he was going anywhere, anytime soon.

Ssssssss

Albus listened to the Order member's reports with growing worry. Tom's attack on the ministry had been a lost cause, Aurors and ministry employees who dared oppose the man being killed without mercy and restraint. Together with what the chosen one told them, this painted a more than worrying picture.

It was obvious that the Open Link had made the mistake of binding herself to the worst person imaginable. Somehow Tom Riddle had managed to charm her or trick her into supporting him.

Albus could only hope that the LInk wasn't a permanent one. Finding that out would only be possible if he _had the girl_. That Link between her and Tom needed to be snapped, no matter the price. The wizarding world would only be safe again when this connection was finally broken and the girl either suitably linked, or dead.

Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be found. Not even Fawkes was able to reach her, which meant that she had either never escaped her prison in the first place or was behind equally powerful wards. But who should have set them up? The Weasley twins? The boys had been suspiciously absent from the headquarters for the last days, their mother growing more and more worried with every day that passed without a word from them. They had always been somewhat devoted to the bookish Gryffindor so it was most likely she was with them. But the idea that they were able to do or afford such warding was simply laughable. Were they with the link? It was possible. He'd let Fawkes look into their whereabouts right away.

But if that attempt to procure the Open Link also failed, then there was for now only one route he could take. Tom Riddle had to be taken care of, one way or the other and right now there was only one way to finally get rid of him, by destroying his Horcruxes one by one. 

Luckily Albus had gotten a new, good lead on one of them. He had finally been able to obtain a memory that gave him the location of Tom Riddle's mother's home in Little Hangleton. By everything he knew about Riddle's character, this was a very likely hiding place for one of his Horcruxes. As all other roads seemed to be closed to him for now, he'd follow that lead first. Afterwards, Fawkes would hopefully be back with some news on the Link or the Chosen One would have some more insights into Tom's mind. 

Albus sighed. Right now the game didn't look promising for his side, but luckily he was a very skilled player. He had outplayed Grindelwald in his youth and even gotten the Elder Wand from him. He'd do the same with Tom Riddle, with or without the support of the Open Link.

Ssssssss


	69. Chapter 69

A.N.: This story is getting closer and closer to the end. I am currently writing chapter 75 and I don't think we will hit 80 chapters. But that's fine. This story is already so much longer than I ever expected it to get.

I'm glad about everyone of you who has followed it until here. I appreciate all of you and your comments!

Chapter 69: Killing me slowly

When Hermione awoke she felt horrible. Her mouth tasted like something had recently died on her tongue and her head hurt like she'd had too much to drink. Well, she imagined her head would hurt like this if she had, she was lacking first-hand knowledge in that department after all.

She opened her eyes with a groan and looked into two pairs of brown eyes that studied her with concern.

"Hello sleepyhead," George greeted her, a soft smile playing on his lips. Still, there was a worried glint in his eyes that had not been there in the morning. Hell, how she wished herself back to Grimmauld place, where she had also woken up in bed with those two. Knowing what she knew now, she would have acted on her feelings back then, hoping that what came afterwards would never happen. But that wasn't going to happen. Severus had warned her that her mistake would have consequences. And she had the feeling that she had just gotten a first taste of them.

"Hi," she greeted him back with a raspy voice. "How long was I out?"

Fred, who was sitting next to his brother, smiled. "You've been playing Sleeping Beauty for the better part of the day. It's almost time for dinner, I think."

She'd been out for several hours, mother of Merlin. What had Voldemort _done_ to drain her like this? "And Severus?"

Fred's mouth twitched. "He's still out, but I don't think it will be much longer, with you being up again. Seeing him sleep wasn't half as satisfying though. That's why we left that job to Malfoy. "

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. He was joking, even now. How did he do that in a situation as dire as this one?

"I need to see him," she said, attempting to pull herself up from her bed. But as soon as she tried, she felt herself start getting dizzy again. She cursed and looked at Fred and George with desperation. "I did this to him. He finally thought he was free of Voldemort, only to realize that the man can drain his magic without him being able to do anything against it," she explained, her voice pained. "This is not right. It's not his fault I made this terrible mistake."

"We understand," George assured her, getting up from his chair. "Do you want me to carry you to the living room? I'm sure he'll want to see you as soon as he wakes up."

Hermione nodded, her heart flooded with gratefulness for him. "You'd do that?" she asked, causing the boys to smile.

"For you, we'd do anything, love," Fred said and Hermione couldn't help but think that he sounded like he meant it.

Ssssssss

Severus would never get used to waking up after being drained empty. It was a feeling unlike any other, as it didn't only make him feel tired and _old_, it also made him feel achy in a very strange sort of way. It probably best compared to a morning after he'd gotten himself thoroughly pissed only that there were potions for that kind of condition. If this unsettling trend of him playing human battery continued, he'd have to invent a potion for this condition, even though he still hoped that they'd find some sort of solution for the mess they had gotten themselves into. Because this wasn't just Hermione's fault. If he hadn't been such an arrogant git, to begin with, the girl would probably still be safely at Hogwarts and Voldemort would be unaware that she was the Link in the first place.

"Severus," he heard Hermione whisper right next to him and when he opened his eyes, she was there, right at his side. She looked grim, tired, but he could not blame her as he himself felt like shit.

"I'm so sorry," she went on, her tiny voice accompanied by silent sniffles. No wonder, she was probably eaten up by guilt.

"I'm alright, don't worry," he assured her and tried to smile but it probably came out more like a grimace as she threw herself at him with a sob. Would he ever get used to that kind of unfiltered affection from her - well, from anybody in fact? For years physical touch had meant nothing but pain for him, which had him avoiding it altogether. But now there was her, touching and hugging him like it was well… _natural_. And he could not deny that he secretly enjoyed when Hermione showed her affection in that way. Did that make him weak? Probably. To love someone, no matter in what way, always meant to be vulnerable in some way.

He carefully caressed her hair with his fingers, fully aware of the looks the twins sent the two of them. Why was he suddenly worried about what they thought? He'd never given a flying fuck what the rest of the world thought about him after, well, after Lily. She and his mother had been the only people he ever cared about. Yes he had sworn to protect Harry but it had always been for Lily's sake as he could not find it in himself to love the boy. But now there was Hermione and he felt protective of her like he had of nobody else before. Holding her probably made him seem sentimental or weak, but for all it mattered, he could not find himself to care.

He and Hermione held each other for several minutes and he could slowly feel his energy returning back to him. It wasn't long before he finally felt able to get up again and he did so, after gently pushing the girl away.

"Alright," he said, desperately wishing for a cup of coffee. "First of all the three of you are going to make some dinner while Hermione and I use the time to freshen up and take some potions. And then we'll all sit down and talk. Understood?"

The boys nodded, not a word of protest coming from them. Good. They all needed a full stomach for the next bit of conversation and he and Hermione needed something to replenish their energy reserves with.

It was almost an hour until they were all back in the kitchen, sitting at the enlarged table with some potatoes and sausages in front of them. Luckily he had shown Draco how to use the stove, otherwise, they'd probably eaten sandwiches again. He let them finish their meal first, as the news he had gotten were most unsettling. They would surely not help Hermione's appetite, but it was obvious that the girl finally needed to eat properly again.

"Today there was an attack at the ministry," he finally said, as he was sure his friend had eaten everything she planned to. As to underline his words he procured the Daily Prophet's special edition from his robes and threw the newspaper on the table. He should have probably just told them what was in there, but he wanted them to read it on their own.

He saw Hermione's eyes ghost to the front page and a moment later he heard her gasp in shock. He did not have to read the article again, as it was one of his talents to easily memorize texts he had read before. And this one refused to leave his head again, no matter how much he wished to forget.

_**Cornelius Fudge Dead**_

_**Lord Voldemort named as new Minister of Magic **_

_By Rita Skeeter _

_Here I am again __my loyal readers__. Yes, it's me, Rita Skeeter, your favourite, well-informed journalist. And today I do have the most mind-blowing news for you. In a surprise move, Lord Voldemort finally showed himself to the wizarding world, conquering the Ministry of Magic like a hurricane. He did not leave any stone unturned while searching for his queen, former Hogwarts student and __confirmed __Open Link Hermione Granger, who had willingly linked her magic with his before she was abducted by so far unknown attackers._

_"We had just found each other," he told me in an exclusive interview, a longing glimmer in his forest-green eyes. "But I will go to any lengths to free her from those who have taken her against her will, the re-organization of the Ministry is just the first step." __He said passionately as he spoke of his vision for our world._

_Former Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, unfortunately fell victim to an accident this morning. Witnesses reported him being hit by several pieces of rubble, falling down from the ceiling as it was hit by a stray curse cast by one of the ministry Aurors._

_Thankfully Lord Voldemort has agreed to take the lead over the country into his own capable hands. With a mighty sorcerer like him in charge we can finally feel safe and protected. "As soon as my queen is back at my side we will introduce you to the plans we have to reform this country." He assured __me with a __smile full of promises. "We intend to create a world that is safe for everybody to live in, a better world for Magical Britain. This is what we both are looking most forward to." Our new Leader said passionately as he thought of our future, or maybe our Queen._

_I don't know about you my loyal readers but I for one can't wait to finally see the new golden couple reunited, or should that be Royal couple. I am sure I am not the only one wishing our ruler luck in finding our Queen quickly. Hermione Granger, 16, is a well known muggleborn girl who has been at the top of her year consecutively. Many speak of her compassion and caring nature. Someone who values education highly. Surely someone like her would make a marvellous companion to our new leader. Perhaps one day I will be graced with an exclusive interview in the near future. A royal wedding would surely bring us all closer together. Who knows, maybe one day we may even be blessed with a royal heir._

_Do not worry my readers I, Rita Skeeter, will do my best to bring you all the facts as soon as I can. This is certainly a new Era we are living in._

He watched Hermione while she was reading through the article, her eyes hastily scanning every word. With every moment that passed, she looked sicker and sicker and in the end, Severus thought, she might actually lose her dinner. Maybe letting her finish it first hadn't been a good idea at all?

"That's…" Fred Weasley started but seemed at a lack of words, which was a totally new thing. His brother sat next to him, looking shell-shocked as well. Hermione, on the other hand, skimmed the article one last time and he could see her pulling her Occlumency walls up as she did so. In the end, her face was an expressionless mask, all uneasiness and other emotions wiped from her features.

"I'm going to kill that bitch," she said calmly as if the article hadn't fazed her but there was a certain gleam in her eyes that told them all she was not joking. Well, it wasn't the first time Rita Skeeter had written about Hermione and she had never been shy to write as many lies about his friend as she could squeeze into an article of her's. Still, he could not shake the feeling that there was some more history between the women, one that he wasn't aware of. Where had the nasty reporter been during the last weeks anyway?

He sighed. "Unfortunately this is not everything. Look at page 2," he said, knowing what they would find there. He still had mixed feelings about _that_ article.

_**The mysterious death of Albus Dumbledore **_

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Yes, my friends, the famous Albus Dumbledore is dead. Not two hours after the sudden change of power in the ministry the Headmaster's body was discovered in his office at Hogwarts. Experts from St. Mungo's hospital stated that he had been killed by a so far unknown curse that had befallen his hand after he had tried a seemingly cursed ring of unknown origin. _

_"This was a nasty curse," chief healer Anderson stated, a grim expression clouding his face. "Even if a healer would have been with him in time, he would have been beyond saving."_

_The death of Albus Dumbledore is, without doubt, a tragedy, my dear readers, but there is no denying that his leadership has been a very controversial one. Only days ago there had been an official Ministry inquiry concerning the disappearance of Bellatrix Lestrange, who has been seen in the school's Great Hall. She has last been seen accompanying the Headmaster to his chambers but has been found missing shortly after. This is only one of the many strange occurrences being reported during Dumbledore's questionable leadership over Britain's most treasured school. Who will take his position now, that the man has so suddenly passed away? _

For a while, he saw the teenagers staring at the newspaper in disbelieving silence. Only Hermione did not show any outward reaction to the news, her eyes and face calm and incomprehensible. The twins, on the other hand, looked like they were about to bolt from the room any second, ready to duel Voldemort or go straight to Hogwarts, he wasn't really sure which it was.

"This can't be," George finally said, his voice full of disbelief. "Dumbledore can't just be dead. That's… I mean seriously? You think he's stupid enough to just try on an old ring without checking it for curses? Not even we would be careless enough to do that. That doesn't sound like him at all. This sounds like a cover up!"

Severus had to agree. Albus Dumbledore had been a mastermind. Such carelessness didn't sound like him at all. Had he been killed by Voldemort? Is that what the bastard used his and Hermione's energy for? His head started hurting from all the possibilities and implications of these news. He wasn't torn up about the man's death after all, it was just an inconvenience now since they needed him for the war effort.

"What are we going to do now?" Hermione's calm voice interrupted all of their thoughts. She was still staring detachedly at the newspaper on the table like she was trying to find a truth hidden between the lines. "If Dumbledore is really dead, then there is no one left who is strong enough to face Voldemort in a duel is there?"

"I don't think so." Severus answered grimly. "Moody and Shacklebolt might be capable wizards but Dumbledore and Voldemort were in a league of their own. And considering the energy the man can pull through the Link with you Hermione…"

He did not finish the sentence, as it was not necessary to. They got the meaning behind his words anyway. "We need to do something," Hermione said darkly. "There needs to be a way to sever that link, we can't let him have access to both of our magical cores."

Severus nodded. "There might not be a way to break the Link between the two of you, but… You can break the Link you have to me anytime. All it requires is the two of us agreeing to sever the bond."

Hermione didn't answer right away, but she slowly lifted her head, before her eyes calmly focussed on him. "Is this what you want?" she asked, her voice robbed of all emotion while her eyes were almost completely black from occluding. He didn't need to see her emotions to know it was the last thing she wanted.

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath as he did so. "No, but this is no longer about what we want. We need to find a way to at least weaken that man and this will most likely not be a comfortable one."

She nodded calmly. "I see. I assume the Link cannot be re-established later." She said, her eyes never leaving his.

Severus nodded. "It is unlikely you'll be able to create any other links at this point. You're no longer an Open Link Hermione but a closed one. Your magical core has stabilized itself, well, as much as it _can be stabilized_."

Hermione did not react to his words right away, as she probably had to contemplate them. It was a risky move, as the connection to him was probably what stabilized her emotionally right now. But what else was there to be done? Lord Voldemort with access to not one but two magical cores was an indestructible force that was able to conquer not only Britain but the whole world within weeks. The shields he could cast would be impenetrable, his attacks almost impossible to block… as much as it pained Severus, staying linked to Hermione would mean a speedy end to everybody opposing that bastard and afterwards it would only be a matter of time until he would find them, no matter where they tried to hide.

"Couldn't we combine our magical power to take him down?" she asked him calmly. "You're a good duellist, you could at least try."

He looked at her with a pained expression on his face. "I could. Unfortunately, I do have the well-founded presumption that the man can not be killed."

To his surprise, she didn't even question him but simply nodded. "I know. He has made multiple Horcruxes," she said, confirming this theory. "The snake is one of them and the diary Harry found and destroyed in our second year was another."

How did she know this? Had he told her? But that was impossible, as Voldemort was known to carefully guard his secrets

"So he can not be killed," Fred Weasley said, his voice grim. "Aren't there any good news any of you feel like sharing with us?"

Hermione shook her head, her eyes finally leaving his to calmly stare at the others. He could tell that her cool demeanour started to unsettle the twins, as they had probably never seen her like this. "Unfortunately not. As it appears we need to find those Horcruxes first before we'll be able to end him. I don't know how many there are, or even what most of them are. They could, in fact, be anything, item or living being. He could have even chosen a rock and tossed it into the Ocean."

The boy's eyes went wide. "Which means he can not be killed," George summarized what none of them wanted to say out aloud.

"That is how he sees it, yes," Hermione confirmed. "Of course this is not true, but killing him will at least be very difficult now." With that, she focussed her eyes back at Severus. "You are right, duelling him now would be suicide and I'm not watching you die again. We'll sever the bond then if this is what you think is best."

He nodded, desperately wishing there was another way. But there did not seem to be one. "I do."

"Alright," she said, slowly rising from her chair. "Let's get this over with, then. I'll be in my room."

Severus stared at her, as she turned around and left without another word. There was an uneasy feeling in his belly, that grew more and more intense as he watched her leave and he rose from his chair to follow her right away.

"You heard her," he said towards the boys, his voice imitating the cold bastard he had been in school. "We're not to be disturbed."

The twins nodded, while Draco watched him with his eyebrow raised questioningly. But as he did not voice his thoughts, Severus chose to simply ignore him.

Ssssssss

A.N.: Yes, Dumbledore is dead. I found it to be epic justice for him to be killed by that Horcrux and not be saved by Snape, as he had driven the man away. He dug his own grave in the end...


	70. Chapter 70

A.N.: Hello my friends, here is another chapter for you. Writing is going slower these days, as this story has really gotten complicated towards the end and I am sometimes too tired to sit down with my computer, after a full day of work. I hope you are all fine, wherever you are. Stay safe and healthy, guys!

Chapter 70: Not Alone

It was only a few seconds until Severus followed her into a room, making it impossible for her to even take a deep breath before she had to face him again. Severing the bond between them was the last thing she wanted, but her friend seemed to be convinced that there was no other way and unfortunately she was not having any information that was saying otherwise.

Hermione sat down on her bed, as her feet felt too shaky for her to trust them to support her any longer. It took her whole willpower not to break down right now and she had the feeling that it wouldn't get any easier.

"Tell me what you think," Severus said calmly, while he walked towards her with measured steps. "I can tell you're holding back."

Of course, he had realized what she was doing. He was the one who taught her Occlumency after all. Still, she did not want to start crying in front of him, not _again_. Because slowly she got the feeling she didn't do much else than crying these days. Where was the strong Hermione Granger she had once been?

She could understand Severus. Of course, the bond to her was something he no longer wanted, considering the circumstances. To try convincing him otherwise would be pure egoism.

"Doesn't matter," she therefore said and gestured for him to sit down on her neatly made bed. "The sooner we cancel the bond, the less likely it is that Voldemort will do this to you again."

He sat down in front of her with a deep sigh. "That doesn't mean your opinion doesn't matter to me. I can tell you are not happy with this. So stop hiding behind those Occlumency walls and start _talking to me_."

Severus focussed her with his dark brown eyes and for a moment it felt like he was looking right into her soul. Of course, such a thing was impossible, even for someone linked to her. Still, his words had started to pull at her heartstrings and made her realize that she _wanted_ to talk to him.

Hermione sighed. "I hope there'd be another way," she admitted. "I hate to cut this bond, to let you go, even though that probably sounds childish and totally egoistic. I just ... I feel like I can't lose you again, you know? I used the link to bring you back just days ago. I can't lose you, Severus, not right now, not _ever_."

"You're not losing me, Hermione," he assured her softly. "The only thing you're losing is the access to my magical core, but apart from that nothing will change. I'll still be your friend Hermione, I'll still be there whenever you need me. My magic and my skill are still yours if you want it, as I'll fight right at your side or have your back, whichever you prefer. I swear nothing will change, you hear me?"

She nodded and slowly she felt her Occlumency shields waver. "It doesn't feel like that. We've been linked before we even became friends and somehow…"

Understanding gleamed in his eyes. "I'm not your friend because of the link Hermione. Yes, being linked to you gave me the chance to get to know you better, to understand you and vice versa I think. Or do you think you'll not want my friendship any longer when that link is gone?"

Hermione caught herself sniffling. "Of course not, don't be ridiculous!" she said and when he saw him looking at her with a soft smile, she could no longer hold back and pulled him into a hug. And to her surprise, he hugged her back without reserve.

"See? This will not change anything. I'll stay right at your side until you decide you no longer want me there," he promised her softly. "Or until your twins want you for themselves."

She wanted to chuckle but somehow it came out as a sob. "I'll always want you at my side, Severus. Fred and George will have to learn to accept that, but somehow I think they already have. They're not Harry and Ron, you know?"

"Thank Merlin for _that_," he said and from the sound of his voice, she thought he was smiling. "Can't imagine you dating _those two_."

Hermione smiled against his chest and for a long moment, they sat in silence and enjoyed each other's presence. Finally, she felt ready to let go of him and so she slowly lowered her arm and pulled back from him.

"Are you sure there is no other way? I'll be all alone with him then and that terrifies me. All the time I was with him I clung to our bond, it was the only thing that kept me sane. What if he catches me again? I'll have nothing then and there would no way for you to contact me."

Her friend nodded grimly. "I know. This is a big risk. I used our bond as the base of a spell that helped us track you as soon as you were outside those wards. This is how we found you in the end. With the link gone, I would not be able to do that again. But Hermione? If Voldemort finds you I will be right at your side, I swear it and there are only two ways such an encounter will go. Either we will be able to get away or kill him preferably, or he'll strike us down, one after the other. As long as I am alive he will not take you again and I am pretty sure your twins are equally determined to protect you. So if you fall into his hands again, neither of us will be alive any longer. And as soon as I am dead, our link will start to die, too."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes, but her head was too full of thoughts to put them into words. And therefore Severus continued: "I would never be able to pull the same trick twice. Getting you away from him the first time was hard enough. But still, now we know what we are dealing with. We can prepare for every eventuality if that makes you feel safer. Just tell us what it is you want, what you need and we'll do it. We could find another way to mark or track you if that makes you feel safer. Your twins are surprisingly skilled in designing illegal and personalized port keys, for example. We do not need that link to protect each other."

Hermione nodded. He really had put some thought in this. And he was right - there were other options for them. The five of them were possibly some of the most intelligent young minds the wizarding world had to offer. They would come up with something. "Alright. Thank you for talking some sense into me," she mumbled, looking up at him with a sheepish smile.

"Anytime," he replied with a smile of his own. "Do you feel ready to do this now? Shall we cut that bond, together?"

Hermione nodded. "Together."

Ssssssss

Rita Skeeter was actually more useful than he had imagined. After his rough overtaking of the Ministry, she had done a nice job wrapping everything up into a nice story that did not have much to do with the truth. But people tended to believe her fictional articles, probably because they were much more interesting or in this case less unsettling than the actual truth. He had to admit: things had gotten a bit out of hand at the ministry, a fact his queen would probably condemn. This might make it even more difficult to convince her to finally give in to him and be his queen.

And then there was the _mysterious_ death of Dumbledore. He, of course, knew what had happened to the old, nosy fool. The man had managed to find one of his Horcruxes. Lord Voldemort was sure of it, as he had placed the curse on the ring himself and the descriptions of the man's wounds had been very specific. It had been his curse that killed the man because there was no chance the old fool was still alive.

Had the curse killed Dumbledore before he was able to destroy the soul piece that was hidden within the ring? Or had the old man in the end been successful in destroying it? He did not know, as the ring had mysteriously disappeared from Dumbledore's body, that would be buried at the Hogwarts grounds tomorrow.

As the new Minister of Magic, it was his right to attend the funeral but unfortunately, it was quite possible that he would still be unable to pass the castle's wards. Dumbledore had set some of them up for the very purpose of keeping him away from the castle. He doubted that McGonagall, the old grumpy cat who had taken over the leadership of the school, would welcome him with open arms.

Well, if the new school year started and his lioness was not back at his side where she belonged, he would take down that damned school, as he could not let her return there. But with the whole Auror corps, or what remained of them, at his disposal, he was pretty confident he would have her back by the end of the month. The ministry had other ways of tracking a witch or wizard down and he would not be shy to order the Unspeakables to do just that for him. Finding her was his most important goal now because only now he realized that by making their connection official he had painted a large target on her back. And he did not put it past some of his enemies to kill his queen just to sever the link between them. He would never forgive himself if he lost her through his own stupidity.

He needed to find her and fast. Because the feelings that had started seeping through the bond had grown more and more worrying. Wherever she was, whatever they did to her, his queen was suffering. He could feel her fear and distress growing with every moment that passed. Wasn't she supposed to be with her friends, her allies? So why were the torturing her? He could feel that she was in emotional pain and feeling that made him want to rip those fools apart.

They were not allowed to touch her, to hurt her. She was his queen and therefore untouchable for everybody else but him.

Salazar, he needed her back at his side or otherwise it was only a matter of time until his freshly regained sanity started slipping through his fingers again.

Sssssss

"I'm worried about dad," George said, staring at the newspaper article that was now lying in front of him on the coffee table. "He must have been at the Ministry when that attack happened."

Fred, who was sitting shoulder to shoulder at his side, nodded gloomily. "I know. I wonder if he has gotten away, or…" He could not say it, but it was not necessary as they both knew what he could not bring himself to say.

"Yeah," George agreed, pulling his hair. "Gods, I wish we could finally _do something_. The world outside is going to the dogs and we're just sitting here, unable to do _anything_."

From behind them, they heard Malfoy snort. "This can only come from a bloody Gryffindor," he said in a mocking tone, causing Fred to jump to his feet. "Why do you think you can't do anything? Because you're in hiding? Really?"

Fred stormed towards him and George was pretty sure he would punch the boy, just to relieve some of the tension that had taken hold of them. "What are we supposed to do in your opinion? _Read a book_?"

Malfoy shrugged, totally unfazed by his brother's behaviour. "For example. Have you tried researching Granger's condition? Or duelling? You could even start making some of your products if you think they could be in any way helpful. There are lots of things you could do, so stop moping around."

George weighed his head. The snob did have a point, but none of those things really felt like the right thing at the moment. Duelling skills would not be enough to kill You-Know-Who, as the bastard had obviously found a way to make himself almost invincible. And what book could they read on Hermione's condition, that Snape had not brought to the flat and therefore probably read already? They had not had the chance to bring anything with them to the flat.

Fred kind of thought the same, but at least Malfoy's words had given him something to think about and therefore take his mind off the attack on the Ministry. If they could only find out what really happened or find a way to contact the other members of the Order. Now that the Prophet was obviously an even less reliable source than it was before, the wizarding people had even less of a chance to learn what really happened out there. That wasn't right. Voldemort was dangerous enough without the media behind him. If he could now also decide what was proclaimed as the truth, then it would not take long for people to stop fighting and believing his lies. When this happened the war was as good as lost.

Fred rubbed his face with a tired sigh and suddenly he knew what he and George could do. If there was no reliable source of information, then they would have to make one. There had to be a way to reach everybody that was still resisting Voldemort and his followers. Maybe they could even activate some of the order members to search for those Horcruxes, whatever they were.

His brother must have followed his train of thoughts, as he was suddenly at his side, his eyes gleaming with the drive to make a difference. Malfoy was right, only because they were in hiding did not mean they couldn't do anything. The both of them had a very specific skill set and they were determined to put it to good use.

Ssssssss

Severus was not prepared for the feeling of loss that hit him, as the link between him and Hermione broke. Somehow it wasn't just the loss of her magic, like he had thought, that hit him like a bludger. It was as if their bodies had until now been connected in a very special way like their heartbeats had been in sync and now his own heart suddenly did not know his own rhythm any longer. But it was more than that. Unconsciously he had always been able to sense her feelings through the bond, to know if she was alright or needed him. Yes, he had been aware that he had felt when she was in distress, but now he suddenly realized that even under normal circumstances his mind had always sought out a reassurance that his friend was alright. Now he suddenly could no longer be sure of her wellbeing and he realized that he didn't like that at all. Did she feel the same?

Severus did not know and when she looked at her he realized, that she had pulled up her Occlumency shields again. It was impossible to tell what she thought or felt right now. And he realized that he hated that.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" he, therefore, asked in a worried tone.

"I'm fine," she assured him, before pulling herself up from her bed. She wanted to leave the room, he realized, but letting her run away now would have been a grave mistake. She must have felt the loss as he had - it had probably hit her ever worse. Merlin, what had he done?

With a quick move, he caught her hand, to prevent her from running away. Because he was almost sure that this was, what she had intended.

"Are you?" he asked her, while he got up and took a step towards her. "Because I am not. I don't like this," he admitted and sought out her eyes. "I did not expect to feel this kind of loss, I had no idea," he swore and it was the truth. Only now that he lost her he was getting aware of what they had just given up.

Hermione nodded. "We'll get used to this, we have to," she murmured, her voice too calm for his liking. "But I don't like this either."

For a moment they stared at each other in silence. Then Severus suddenly followed an impulse and pulled her into his arms. He rarely was the one initiating a hug between them as it felt strange doing so, but suddenly he realized, that both of them needed some form of reassurance and hugging her was the first thing that came to his mind. He did not want to lose her but with growing panic, he realized that he had just done, what he promised himself to never do again. He had pushed her away like he had done it with Lily. Would he now also lose her, because he simply would not learn?

"I'm right here," he murmured into her hair, while he pressed her against his chest and slowly he felt her arms close around his waist, too. "You're not alone Hermione, you hear me? Even if it might feel like this to you right now." Why did his own words suddenly feel like a lie to him? He knew they were true, he _meant _them. So why did he suddenly feel alone?

Hermione nodded mutely against his chest before she let go of him a moment later and he could feel his own heart clench in fear. He was a bloody fool. He had just done what he had warned her not to do. He had pushed her away, the only good thing that happened to him in his life since Lily.

"I know," she said her voice bare of emotion. "But I'll need some time to get used to this new situation."

Hermione took a step back from him before she looked at the door. "Shall we go back to the others?" she asked and Severus nodded numbly. He probably wasn't the right person to comfort her right now, as much as it pained him to admit it. He had messed this up, he realized.

Still, she could not stay alone right now which meant that the twins would have to keep an eye on her. Luckily he was pretty sure that they would not mind, at all. Maybe they would be able to comfort her. He hoped they would. All the while he would lock himself into his room and look for a way to fix that mess. Because he could not lose Hermione again, the both of them needed each other. Why had it needed another one of his stupid mistakes to realize that?

Sssssssss


	71. Chapter 71

A.N.: Warning: This chapter contains smut. If that's not for you, then read the beginning and when things get too heated for you, skip to the next one. ;-)

Chapter 71: What I need

Hermione felt horrible. No matter what Severus had promised her before, as soon as they broke the link connecting them, she felt her friend's presence slip through her fingers and even though he was still there, physically, she could feel his mental presence slip through her fingers like water.

It was only a moment until she could no longer feel him and when she finally opened her eyes and let go of his hand, she felt nothing but hollowness inside and it _hurt_. No matter how much she raised her Occlumency shields, there was no running from that pain. It was there, right where her heart and probably also her magical core sat, torturing her with a burning pain that was almost too much to take. That was until she heard the silent whisper of magic inside her, reassuring her, promising her that he would come for her. And with growing horror she realized that it was _him_, trying to comfort her in that way through the bond. She could feel his magic slowly seeping into her body, her magical core, where it started to close the wound she and Severus had torn not even an hour ago. And to her growing dismay, she realized that the pain resonating through her slowly subdued, soothed by the magic of the man she despised most in this world. The wound that the severing of hers and Severus' link had caused was closed and she could feel her magical equilibrium slowly right itself as it got used to the new situation. _I'll protect you, _the voice inside her whispered, making her shudder at the realization that she was able to hear his words in her head. Was he able to hear hers, too?

Hermione tried to remain strong while she left her room and joined the others in the living room. Her twins were right at her side, pulling her unashamedly into their arms, sandwiching her between them on the sofa. They didn't talk much, Hermione didn't feel like it and altogether the atmosphere just seemed kind of melancholic. For a while, she saw Severus watching her with a worried expression but finally, he bid them goodnight and disappeared into his room. Malfoy followed his example shortly after and as soon as the boy left the room, she felt the twins pulling her even closer.

"You alright, love?" George whispered before gently kissing her earlobe.

Hermione shook her head. "Not really, no," she admitted and leaned her head against his.

Fred nodded like he had expected that sort of answer from her. "What can we do to make you feel better? What do you need from us?" he asked, seeking her out with his brown eyes. "Do you want us to leave you alone?" he asked and immediately she realized that being alone was the last thing she wanted. She didn't want to be alone with _him_. Just thinking about it made her shiver.

Hermione shook her head in determination. "No, I… can I stay with you for the night? Could you hold me or…" she hesitated "make me forget all of this for a while. I don't want to think about…" she helplessly gestured through the air, but her twins seemed to understand what she wanted to say. Fred nodded, a smile playing around his lips.

"Of course you can stay," he said and softly kissed the corner of her mouth. "There's always a spot for you between us."

George nodded before he nuzzled her neck with his nose, causing goosebumps to spread all over the skin of her back. "And we're only too happy to make you forget this shit for a while. Freddie and I are experts in staging big distractions." He gently nicked the skin of her shoulder with his teeth, before he closed his arms around her from behind. Fred nodded in front of her before he pulled her into a kiss, that was full of promises. It felt glorious and Hermione felt that this was exactly what she needed. She did no longer want to feel this emptiness inside her, did no longer want to _think_. And so she answered his kiss hungrily while closing her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

"Then distract me," she whispered before pulling Fred into another bruising kiss. But it wasn't enough, she needed them closer, wanted more… Without knowing what she was doing her hands wandered towards Fred's chest and tried exploring the muscles hidden beneath his shirt enthusiastically. She felt Fred smile into her mouth before he mumbled: "We could go into our room, then I could take this off if you like." He winked at her and grinned.

"No," Hermione said, before pulling him into a hungry kiss. "_I_ will take this off of you," she promised with courage that she had never thought she possessed.

She heard George behind her chuckle. "Sounds like a brilliant idea," he said before he started kissing her neck, the stubble on his chin causing her to shiver. What other parts of her would he be interested in kissing, she asked herself, feeling a shiver of anticipation run through her body.

"Let's go," she whispered and only a moment later Fred pulled her to her feet with an amused smile on his face.

"Come on then, love," he said, taking her hand with a sunny smile. George was on her other side only a moment after and took her other hand with a proud grin. Hermione followed them only too willingly into their room and as soon as the door closed behind them it was like it was suddenly easier for her to breathe.

Fred and George led her to the bed and Hermione felt a flutter of anticipation in her belly. She knew what was below these shirts as she had seen the twins in their swimming trunks almost a year ago. Back then they had only been friends though, but even then she had appreciated the sight.

The boys stopped in front of their bed, looking at her with wide, matching grins. "We're all yours," Fred said and his brother nodded before he continued. "You can take as many of our clothes off, as you like."

Hermione looked at them with a raised eyebrow, before she stepped closer towards Fred and grabbed the hem of his T-Shirt. She carefully lifted it over his head and threw it on the floor, before she pulled him into a slow kiss. Then she stepped to George, who looked at her with a happy smile. She did not get the chance to undress him right away though, as he immediately pulled her into a kiss himself. His hands gently cupped her hips and he pulled her towards him until their bodies were pressed against each other. Only then she could feel his fingers slowly trailing upwards, touching the hem of her shirt like they were asking for permission to pass that border. Hermione slowly nodded into the kiss and she could feel the boy smile against her mouth, his fingers touching the skin of her back shortly after. She took that as an invitation to mirror his movements and it did not take long until her fingers stroked the skin on his back and sides. It felt glorious but at the same time, it wasn't nearly enough. In a bold move, she grabbed the hem of his shirt too and pulled the thing off, before pulling George into another kiss. He allowed it only too willingly.

"Do you want us to take off your shirt too?" Fred murmured from behind before she could feel his hands on her hips. "Or would you rather simply enjoy the show?"

For a moment it felt like her heart skipped a beat from excitement, as the possibilities ran through her head. But in the end, the urge to feel them closer to her won and she nodded with a smile. "Go ahead," she said. "It's only fair that we're even."

She barely finished her sentence as Fred pulled her shirt up and over her head. And when she looked back at them again she realized that George was looking at her with a hungry expression in his eyes. A moment later he pulled her closed, made a step back so that both of them toppled onto the bed, Fred following them with an amused smile on his face. Lying on top of George she could feel his brother carefully lean over the both of them before he whispered into her ear: "Is this distracting enough, love?"

She turned her head into his direction, kissed the corner of his mouth and said: "For now?"

Hermione heard him chuckle from behind, only to get aware of his brother's hands that were gently grabbing her hips. This _was_ distracting, she realized, just as she was pulled into another kiss. Things grew more and more heated from there, the three of them rolling around on the bed, kissing, touching and exploring all that skin that was now suddenly accessible to them. Hermione had always expected to feel shy in that sort of situation as her experience with boys was restricted to fully-clothed kissing and cuddling. And even though her body had lost some of its recently acquired curves due to her newly established, bad eating habits, she found that she did not worry about it in the least. This were Fred and George and they quite frankly didn't seem to mind or complain about anything, quite the contrary actually. They seemed most fascinated with her curves and she found that she could not get enough of their muscles, as she first explored them with her hands and later traced them with her lips.

"Gods Hermione, you're killing me, love," George moaned and looked at her with glowing eyes.

"He means that in a good way," Fred assured her, kissing his way down her shoulder blades and sides. The only answer from her was a moan. She knew exactly what George meant. Those two were making her want things, she had never wanted before and with every minute that passed, she wanted them more. She wanted them to fill this emptiness inside her, to satisfy this hunger she was starting to feel. And Hermione suddenly found that she did not care if this was too soon or to forward, she _wanted_ them, _needed_ them even.

Her hands just seemed to have waited for that kind of realization, as they suddenly trailed downwards, cupping the evident bulge in George's trousers. He rewarded it with a moan, as did his twin behind her.

Hermione turned her head and looked at Fred in confusion. "Can you feel that?" she asked and touched George again. Fred looked at her with burning eyes, before he pulled her into a desperate kiss.

"I can feel what he feels, if we decide to open the twin bond," be explained in between kisses, while his thumbs touched her breasts through the thin fabric of her bra. She moaned into his mouth.

"It's quite a neat little trick we learned from a book we read a while ago," he continued, as his fingers touched her nipples in the most distracting way. "It makes relationships with the same person much easier, as it doesn't matter which one of us you touch. We can both feel it. In a way, we're like the same person, only with much more arms."

"And mouths," George added, gently biting her neck and by doing that coaxing another moan from her lips. It was muffled by Fred's mouth, who was kissing her passionately again. It was almost too much and she would have been intimidated by any other two men, but this were Fred and George and she realized that she trusted them, implicitly.

For a while, no other words were exchanged, as none of them had enough breath left for a conversation. Besides, there were much more important things to do, like for example ridding the boys of those trousers, which was annoyingly difficult. But Hermione wanted to explore more of their skin and those clothes were simply _in the way_.

"Let us help you with this," Fred chuckled and unbuckled his belt, as did his twin. Fred was right, some of their movements were totally in sync, which made them seem like the same person in two different bodies to an untrained eye. But Hermione knew they were not, as she could always tell them apart, no matter if her eyes were closed or open.

Right now here eyes were open, watching Fred and George as they rid themselves of their trousers, looking at her with a matching grin on their faces. "Enjoying the show, love?" George asked, seeking her out with warm, brown eyes that didn't even show a hint of embarrassment.

She did, which she admitted with a shy nod and a smile.

"Good," Fred answered with a knowing grin, motioning towards her own pants. "Do you feel a bit overdressed now? Because if you do, I'd love to change that," he admitted and stroked her arm with his hand.

Again she nodded, as she suddenly found that her voice would no longer work properly. It didn't matter as Fred already pulled her into another heated kiss, while George stripped of her pants. Suddenly they were both leaning over her, while she found herself lying on her back.

"What do you want, Hermione?" Fred asked, searching her eyes for the answer.

"We don't want to take this too far if that's not what you…" George continued, but he pulled him down into another heated kiss in the attempt to silence him. It worked, as he kissed her back without restraint.

"You're not going too far," she assured him as they finally broke their kiss, both panting for air. "I want this, I want everything you're willing to give me tonight."

"Everything?" George asked before he kissed her again. She nodded into the kiss and found him smile against her mouth. At the same time, she registered another mouth kissing his way downwards along her sides, before it came to rest over her hip bone. Hermione felt herself buckle with lust.

"Get those boxers off," she gasped and as the boys followed her instruction with glowing eyes, she hastily stripped naked in front of them herself. She saw their eyes darken as they realized what she was doing, which made her heart flutter with anticipation. They were going to do this, she realized, nervousness strangely absent, even though she had no idea what she was doing. She had read some books, of course, as her mum eagerly supplied her with them as soon as she hit puberty. But those were barely covering the basics of what was going where and when she looked at her twins she wasn't even sure if things were going to _fit_. Merlin.

Fred seemed to have read her thoughts, as he looked at her with a gentle smile and said: "Don't worry your pretty little head about things that will happen _much_ later today. We aren't even close to doing _that _right now."

He covered her mouth with a slow kiss, tasting her with his tongue as he did. "First I want to taste you, all of you," he said and immediately his mouth kissed his way down her neck to her breasts.

"As do I," George whispered into her ear before he licked her earlobe. Hermione moaned with lust. A moment later she felt George move on the bed. His mouth reappeared a moment later on her thigh. Without thinking too much about it she spread her legs for him and was rewarded for it in the most breathtaking way, that soon made her hope those two had silenced their room. But a moment later she did not even care any longer, as she found herself repeating their names more and more loudly until she came undone with a loud moan.

For a while, she just floated in a wave of bliss and when she became aware of her surroundings sometime later, she found herself sandwiched and held by her handsome boyfriends, who looked at her with a smug smile.

"You're beautiful," George whispered into her ear and played with one of her curls.

"Absolutely stunning," Fred agreed into her other ear. "We could do this all night," he continued and kissed her earlobe. "Or we could simply pull you into our arms and cuddle you until we're asleep."

They were trying to give her a way out, in case she changed her mind, she realized. But that wasn't at all what she wanted.

"I'd rather feel you inside me," she mumbled and pulled George into a kiss. He nodded slowly before he hungrily deepened the kiss. Hermione encouraged him with her hands, letting them trail down his chest until they came to rest on his backside. This time it was he who moaned into her mouth.

"Alright, love," Fred whispered next to her, before he snuggled against her side, his hands starting to stroke her body with clever fingers. And strangely she felt herself flooded with lust again wishing to finally feel Fred or George inside of her. Again they seemed to have read her thoughts as George suddenly moved between her legs and aligned himself at her entrance.

Hermione looked into his eyes and saw the love that was written all over his face. It made her heart swell with happiness. She wasn't alone, Hermione realized as she finally felt George enter her with a slow but deliberate move, while Fred held her and whispered words of love and adoration into her ear, that were more and more replaced by lustful moans. Merlin, this really was a tight fit, Hermione thought as she felt George stretch her more and more until it was finally done and he was buried inside her. For a moment he did not move and stared at her with a worried expression.

"Are you alright, love? Did I hurt you?" he asked and Hermione found herself shaking her head with a gentle smile. Feeling him inside her now was worth the second of pain that already seemed as good as forgotten.

"This feels perfect," she said before pulling him into another kiss.

She felt him smile against her mouth, only partly aware of his brother who had started kissing her shoulder and arm with growing hunger. But the next moment her whole focus was pulled downward when George started to move inside her. She could feel his fingers too, ghosting over the sensitive spot that was still swollen and sensitive from before and it wasn't long until she could feel the lust inside her build up again.

As another wave of lust and fulfilment hit her and Hermione her scream out their names she realized that there was no one else she wanted in her life and in her bed like that. Fred and George Weasley had conquered her heart and body like a storm and Hermione hoped that she would never again have to let go of them. No matter what she had to do, she wouldn't let anybody take this from her, she swore herself, as her boys pulled her into their arms a while later. The three of them belonged to each other, she needed them, but instead of being terrified by that realization Hermione simply felt, like she suddenly had something to keep fighting for.


	72. Chapter 72

A.N.: Hello, my friends. I hope you all had a good time reading the last chapter. I am just writing the last chapters of this story. There will be around 80 in the end. We are almost done, guys. I can't believe it! Thank you for sticking with me for so long. You are the best!

Chapter 72: I want you closer

He should have never let her go, Lord Voldemort realized as the feelings of love and lust radiated through the Link with an intensity that robbed him of his breath. This wasn't just lust he was feeling, this was ecstasy. And there was no one but him who was supposed to give his queen that sort of feeling. How was it possible that she let someone else touch her in that way, to possibly give up her virginity for someone lesser than him. This was not supposed to happen!

His fist connected with the wall of her room, leaving an imprint behind. But the pain he felt in his hand did nothing to make him feel better or at least distract him from those feelings. It was like a liquid fire was suddenly running through his veins making him feel a hunger and a restlessness that he had never before experienced. Only that his queen wasn't there to satisfy it, to satisfy him.

Before he realized what was happening a moan escaped his mouth and he had to use his good hand to support himself on her bed to not lose his balance. Then his eyes darted towards her empty mattress and the purple silky covers still lying crumpled on top of it. And suddenly his feet carried him towards it like they had developed a life of their own. It was only moments before he buried his nose into the soft material soaking in her scent that was still lingering in them. Right then another wave of ecstasy hit him like a bludger, wringing another moan from his lips that he hastily muffled with her pillow. This was too much, this was torture, he could not take this, he thought as his body started to wind itself on her bed desperate for the touch of his queen. But she was nowhere even close to him, his body longing for a touch that would not come. Seven hells, he needed to get her back he realized, as another scream of lust and rage was torn from his mouth before his hand could no longer hold back and started to touch his own body with trembling fingers. He pictured her beneath him as he touched her and entered her delectable little body. Her moaning loudly as he pleasured her like no man ever would. It was the most humiliating experience as he found his release only moments later, stickiness coating his hands and the covers of her bed. He hastily vanished the mess with his wand, healing his injured hand a moment later, disgusted at himself and his weakness. He was Lord Voldemort, the new Minister of Magic and ruler of magical Britain not some common randy teenage boy! Merlin, he had to get his queen back and soon, otherwise, it was only a matter of time until his recently gained control started to slip again. One thing was certain though. He would slaughter whoever had touched her and taken what was rightfully his. Death would be seen as a mercy by the time he was done.

Sssssssss

When Fred awoke the next morning, he found a blissfully naked and sleepy girlfriend in his arms, snuggling against him and his brother with a relaxed and sorrowless face. The last night was as if one of Fred'd erotic dreams had suddenly come true but now in the light of the morning he could not help but ask himself if Hermione would regret her decisions from the previous evening as soon as she awoke and remembered what they had done. He fervently hoped she wouldn't as this would otherwise make him feel like they had taken advantage of her in a weak moment. Had they? Merlin, he hoped not. Yesterday Fred and George had been sure that this was what she wanted and as Hermione never shied back or seemed overly shy they had not hesitated to give her what she wanted. They had wanted to sleep with her more than anything themselves.

Merlin, one day they would have to thank Sirius for that book on magical twins and partnerships, as this had opened a whole new world of possibilities for them. Even as Fred hadn't been the one sleeping with their girl last night it had felt amazing and in the end, he was as satisfied as his twin had been. Still, he could not wait to bring her lust himself in that way.

With a sigh, he gently pulled her closer, but the movement was still enough to wake her. Her naked body shifted against his in the most tempting way, letting him grow excited all over again. It was only shortly after that Hermione blinked her eyes open and looked at him with a happy, sleepy smile.

"G' morning," she mumbled and Fred couldn't help himself but greet her with a slow kiss. She was so cute when she was still sleepy like this.

"Morning sunshine," he whispered, bestowing a little kiss on her nose. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded with a smile. "I did. You?"

"Couldn't have slept any better, which probably has to do quite a lot with you, my pretty, sexy girlfriend," he answered and then kissed her lazily on her soft lips. But as soon as he ended the kiss the doubts from before started to creep up on him again. "Are you alright? Do you feel sore or…"

She answered him with another kiss, smiled and said: "Last night was perfect, Fred. Yes, I'm a little sore but this is to be expected as this was the first time for me. It's nothing time won't fix, so don't worry."

Fred smiled before he turned around and extracted a little phial from his nightstand. He offered it to her with an encouraging smile on his face. "Your friend Severus isn't the only one with a talent for potions," he said as she took it from him with a questioning gaze. "It's a mild healing potion, which should easily rid you of any discomfort you might feel right now. You don't have to take it, of course, but…"

Hermione did not wait for him to continue as she drowned the liquid in three big gulps. "It works," she said, the smile on her face widening. "Thank you, Fred."

He pulled her close with a happy smile on his face. "Anything for my beautiful girlfriend," he whispered and kissed her forehead.

"Our beautiful girlfriend," George corrected from behind Hermione and snuggled closer. Hermione smiled at him, carefully turned around and greeted him with a slow kiss. Fred watched the two of them with a soft smile on his face, took the empty phial out of Hermione's hand and placed it on the nightstand.

"Do you already feel like getting up?" he asked after Hermione had turned on her back and stared at them with uncertainty, that he had not expected to see this morning.

She hastily shook her head. "No, the last perfect morning with you was interrupted by bad news and I've got the feeling today will be the same. I'd rather stay here and pretend the world outside doesn't exist. Sounds stupid, doesn't it?"

Fred looked at her with an understanding smile. "Sounds perfect," Fred corrected her before he pulled her into a lingering kiss. "And I already have some brilliant ideas on how we can pass the time."

Hermione smiled against his lips: "I bet you have."

Ssssssss

Severus noted that it was almost noon, when Hermione exited the twin's bedroom, looking miles better than he felt. The twins were right at her side, evoking the feeling of Deja vús in him, as he saw the three of them together like this. It was obvious that things were going well between them and even though he wasn't jealous, the fear of no longer being needed or wanted clawed inside him like a raging beast. It took all his willpower not to let it show and remain calm as they ate their lunch together, Hermione talking to him with a neutral expression on her face but without the warmth in her eyes, that used to be there for him. Merlin, was history repeating itself again? Had he managed to destroy this friendship, too? He hoped not, because that would have been more than he could take. No, he couldn't let it come to this, he _wouldn't_. The girl meant too much for losing her to a stupid mistake.

"Do you have a minute?" he asked her as soon as they finished their meal. She looked at him with a calm expression and nodded slowly. "Of course."

Without making a fuss the twins excused himself to their room, happily chatting about some project they were planning to start working on. He only hoped they wouldn't blow up their flat by accident. Merlin, as soon as he was finished talking to Hermione he would ward their room as well, considering their knack for potentially dangerous experiments he should have done so right in the beginning. Merlin! Dying had made a moron out of him.

It was the first time Hermione entered his new quarters, but he made the deliberate move of inviting her into his space. He wanted her to realize that he still cared about her, even though she was no longer able to tell through the bond. Hermione entered them without hesitation and he could see a curious look creeping into her eyes, as she realized that he had expanded the room and added a full library and a potions lab to them.

"That's an impressive application of the extension charm," she said, looking at him with admiration.

He looked at her with a smile, motioning to the two armchairs he had positioned in front of the large window, that offered a marvellous view over the city of London. "I could help you to do the same for your rooms, or teach you to do it yourself," he offered, hoping she would take the chance and spend some more time with him.

Hermione sat down on one of the armchairs and nodded. "I'd love that," she said without specifying which of his offers she was referring to. But he guessed right now it didn't matter.

Severus sat down in the other armchair and looked at her with a smile. "How are you, Hermione?" he asked and after a moment of hesitation, he gently took her hand into his. It took him all his courage to initiate this form of contact, as he could not help but be afraid of her pushing him away like his mother had done in his childhood countless times. Hermione wasn't his mother though and she accepted his hand with a gentle smile on her lips.

"I miss you," she admitted shyly. "I know you're still here, but I still feel somehow empty inside and that feeling is hard to bear."

Severus nodded, relieved that she was willing to still open up to him. This wasn't going to be another Lily-experience he realized, as Hermione did not simply push him out of her life as soon as he made a mistake. Apart from that a part of him still felt that breaking their link had been the right, albeit hard choice.

"I feel it too," he admitted, staring at their linked hands. "And it scares me. It scares me not to know if you're well, while another unemotional part of my brain sneers that I got myself attached to another human being again." It was the truth and it took him all his willpower to admit this weakness in front of her. Hermione did not laugh at him though, just held his hand a little tighter.

"I won't hurt you," she promised and looked at him with a serious expression. "Or at least I'll try very hard not to."

They stared at each other in silence for a while and Severus allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of her hand in his. It gave him the assurance that Hermione was not lost to him, no matter what the small voice in the back of his head whispered.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Hermione?" he finally asked and let go of her hand. "I've started inventing a restorative potion that will hopefully help you after your energy was drained, but I'm sure there is more I can help you with."

Hermione nodded with a considerate look on her face. "Yesterday I heard him speaking in my head," she told him hesitantly. "I wasn't even sure that was possible until now. I hate that he can probably feel what I am feeling and I'm terrified of him sending thoughts or feelings to me. I've seen what it does to Harry… Do you think there is a way of at least dampening that? Maybe through a potion or Occlumency?" Even though her voice stayed calm he could still hear the desperate undertone in it.

He rubbed his chin as he considered her request. "As I was able to brew a potion to open our link for a conversation, there might be a way to shield your mind from him. But that would only be a temporary solution. If you really want to do this, we'll have to work on your Occlumency skills Hermione and I'm afraid that won't be pleasant. Are you sure you want me to train you in that way?"

His friend nodded with a determined expression on her face. "I trust you, you know I do."

He looked at her with a grim expression. "Even if I'll have to hurt you or I'll have to use brute-force Legilimency to strengthen your shields? This might take us weeks or even months and I'd hate to lose you because you can no longer stand being in the same room as me."

"Never," she promised, got up from her seat, kneeled down in front of him and took his hands into hers. "We can always stop when it is getting too much for me. But I need to try to get away from him as far as I can, can you understand that?"

Of course, he could. He had considered cutting his arm off and regrowing it to get away from his old master. The desperation she was feeling was only too familiar to him. "I understand and I'll help you if this is what you really want. But I'll need some days to prepare for this if that is alright with you."

She nodded, a relieved smile on her lips. "Thank you, Severus. You don't know what that means to me."

He looked at her with a sad smile. Merlin, he did not want to do this. The little voice in his head warned him not to, as it would possibly drive his only friend away. But he had promised he would help her and he _would_, trusting her words that this would not drive her away. Still, he'd follow the idea that came to him yesterday first and if things went well, he would even find a way to restore part of their old link.

Ssssssss

When Hermione left Severus' room the twins had retreated into their room but just when she considered joining them she saw that Malfoy was waiting for her in the living room. As soon as she stepped into the room he put his book aside and focussed her with a strange look in his pale, grew eyes. A while ago he would at least have unsettled her when he suddenly got up and walked towards her with slow steps. But today she wasn't the person she had been a year ago and so she simply looked at him with an inclined head and waited.

"I'd like to talk to you Granger, in private," he said calmly and motioned his head towards his room. "I'd rather avoid the common rooms, as it will call unwanted attention when I ward them and I'd rather not get disturbed in this conversation."

Hermione nodded with furrowed brows. What was this all about? Well, she guessed she would find out when she agreed to follow him and as Severus said he trusted the boy, there was no reason for her to worry, right?

"Alright, let's go to your room then," she agreed with a nod and followed him through his door, that he carefully warded with spells she had never read about before. Who would have guessed that the boy was interested in warding?

As soon as he was finished, he invited her to sit down on one of the cushioned chairs that stood in front of a small table, which was laden with several books. He sat down right next to her and motioned towards the book that was on top of a rather large pile in the middle.

"I wanted to talk to you about a possible solution for your problem," he said calmly and focussed her with a serious expression on his face. "I might have a way to bring Voldemort down, that is if you are willing to go that path."

Hermione looked at him with a sceptical expression. "You do? But why do you want to talk to me about it alone? I'm sure the others would love to hear about that possible solution."

Malfoy shook his head. "I wouldn't be so sure. What I am proposing is nothing a friend would ever propose to you. But we are not friends, Granger, we're allies and we both want to bring that bastard down. That is why I am telling you this in secret and it is for you to decide what you're going to do with that information."

Hermione nodded, focussing the boy with her caramel brown eyes. "Alright, tell me about this solution," she said, waiting for the boy to start his explanation. If there was really a way to stop Voldemort, she had to know about it. Because considering the situation the world currently found itself in, there wasn't much she wouldn't do to bring that maniac down.


	73. Chapter 73

A.N.: Hello everybody. My writing has slowed down again. But don't worry, there will still be regular updates here. I just don't know what will come after this story, as I do have a few ideas but nothing really makes me super excited. I feel like I will have nothing to write after this story, which makes me not want to finish this one (if that makes any sense to you). But I will, don't worry.

Chapter 73: The lioness and the snake

George and Fred had spent the better part of the day in their room, tossing ideas around about some sort of safe communication that was able to reach the masses. In the end, they had decided, that some sort of radio device would serve their purpose best, as newspapers always left evidence for the other side, which they rather wanted to avoid. So far so good. Now they would have to find suitable equipment and considering they were currently in hiding this wouldn't be an easy task. They would probably have to talk their plans through with Snape and hope that he would approve of their idea before they could leave the flat and start their work. But first, they needed to foolproof their plan, otherwise, the man would simply sneer at them before showing them all the things that would endanger their and therefore everybody's security. This meant that they would for once have to behave like Slytherins and plan things properly instead of rushing into action headfirst. But now they did not only have their own safety to consider, but Hermione's too.

As the day progressed, George could not help but think that something was wrong. During the day they had not seen much of Hermione but that wasn't unusual, as she had also mainly stayed in her room the other days. But also during dinner she seemed somehow distracted, her eyes staring unseeingly into space while she ate her food without much enthusiasm. That, too, wasn't anything new as Hermione had somehow lost her appetite during her time with the obsessive maniac that had kept her prisoner.

Still, it almost seemed like she was brooding over something, as she didn't even react as Fred tried to talk to her and looking back at their shared last night that wasn't a behaviour he had expected from her at all.

Finally, it was time to go to bed and to George's relief, Hermione followed them into their room without them needing to invite her there. As soon as the door closed behind them it was like a switch was flipped in her head. Hermione's whole demeanour seemed to change and it wasn't long until she pulled the two of them in a passionate kiss, that made him forget his worries for now. Instead, he concentrated on showing his girl how much he loved and wanted her, meeting each and every one of her kisses with equal passion and enthusiasm. Soon the three found each other on the huge bed and George no longer found himself able to think about anything else than the woman in his arms. Right now her skin and her lips were the most important thing to him, everything else would have to wait until tomorrow.

Ssssssss

Slowly he was starting to see things more clearly again. After another day of confused feelings seeping through the bond, Lord Voldemort was sure that someone was playing an evil game with his queen. The first thing after she had been taken from him was the feeling of despair, then hate and then later lust and even love. Today he had mostly felt confusion and helplessness, paired with something that felt like deep sadness. It cemented his conviction that whoever had her was playing an evil game with her. He had used similar tactics with his enemies before, giving them hope before destroying it all again only to begin the cycle anew. The most logical conclusion was that she was with the Order of Phoenix and that those morons tried to break the bond that connected them with various strategies. One of them must have been to seduce her but by now they must have realized that that did not help them to create a new bond with the Open Link. There would be no new Links for his Queen, as connecting herself to him had stabilized her magical core enough. What would they do to her when they realized that the connection to him could not be broken?

Once more he sent feelings of reassurance and acceptance through the bond, but soon he realized that they were either not received or did not have any effect on his queen's moral. Probably it was time to send a stronger signal, one that would tell her unmistakably that he would mercilessly punish all their enemies and do anything to get her back.

For a while, his eyes restlessly roamed the throne room as he considered and discarded several ideas. Finally, they came to rest on the two glass jars he had fastened on the ceiling, right in front of him. Here he could always have an eye on them, especially on the little beetle that had proved to be quite useful when it came to playing the media. It looked like Rita Skeeter would soon have to write another article for him, one that did not miss its effect on his queen and his enemies alike.

Lord Voldemort would make a statement and as his eyes trained to the other glass jar containing an ugly toad with a pink bow he knew who would help him to do it. His lioness had always wanted to reform that worthless woman, but instead of taking her lessons to heart Dolores Umbridge had used the first chance to crawl back to her beloved Cornelius, that worthless piece of shit. Watching the man die with her own eyes had probably already started to drive the message home, but now Lord Voldemort realized that it hadn't nearly been enough.

A wink of his wand had the glass jar vanish, causing the ugly creature to tumble towards the ground. He magically caught it at the last moment and transfigured her back into her original appearance, which wasn't much of an improvement to the form his queen had chosen for her. Dolores Umbridge wasn't even remotely recognizable as the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts any longer, her perfectly styled hair limply hanging from her head, the light of her dark eyes almost broken. It was replaced by terror which was an expression he had come to appreciate over the years.

"Well Dolores, it appears I'll be in need of your services today. You see, I am in need to send an important message for my queen and I need you to deliver it for me. Can you do this?"

The woman nodded, as she probably found herself at a lack of speech in his presence. It was only well as the woman's high, girly voice gave him headaches anyway.

"Very good," he said. Looking at her with a gleeful smile. Then he transfigured a table and a chair for her before he levitated a sheet of parchment towards her.

She sat down with a hesitant expression on her face, staring at the empty parchment in front of her full of weariness. "What am I supposed to write with?" she finally asked, causing Lord Voldemort to break out in an amused smile.

"Oh I think you know the answer to that question," he said, procuring a modified blood quill from his robes and levitating it towards her. "What else would you be writing with than your trademark writing utensil?"

He looked at the woman with a cold expression in his eyes, before he told her what to write. And when the first lines started to appear on her white skin a satisfied smile appeared on his face. Finally, the ugly woman would be useful to him once, even if it was the last thing she did in her pitiful existence.

Ssssssss

As soon as Dobby, the house-elf arrived with the newspaper Severus saw the look on his face and knew something was wrong. It had been a brilliant move to hire the little fellow before he left Hogwarts, as all of Dobby's loyalty had been with him and Hermione from there on, giving them the possibility to stay connected to the outside world without needing to fear being found. But today something was wrong, as the little elf barely wanted to meet his eyes when he handed him the newspaper. Severus looked at him with a resigned expression.

"Bad news?" he asked and Doddy nodded sadly, his big ears flopping up and down.

"Miss Hermione will not like this," he said, his high voice heavy with sorrow.

Severus nodded, before staring at the gruesome picture that filled the front page of the Daily Prophet. No one deserved to be tortured to death like that, not even Dolores Umbridge. Voldemort had used her to send a message, as she had words written all over her body, that had been found unclothed in front of the castle.

The message was clear: _I will come for you_, it said. And there was no question whom it was directed at. Dobby was right, Hermione would not like this. But once more it looked like he was destined to be the bearer of bad news.

The atmosphere during breakfast was a strange one. Today Hermione and her twins were up already and the girl had even made breakfast for the lot of them. She was quite a talented cook, which wasn't a surprise as she had a talent for potions as well.

Still, she barely seemed to be aware of her boyfriends right now, her eyes clouded with thoughts as she detachedly ate her omelette. The twins seemed to be aware of her strange behaviour, too as George kept throwing her worried looks while Fred tried to cheer her up with several jokes, she barely reacted to. Something was wrong with the girl and once more Severus cursed himself for breaking the link to her, as it would probably have helped him to understand what was wrong with her. But as it was he was condemned to guess right now.

Again, he decided to wait until the meal was over. Yes, there was the risk of Hermione losing her meal over the newspaper article, but if she read it first, she would not have eaten, to begin with. This way there was at least the chance for her body to get some nourishment.

Finally, there was no reason for him to keep the news to himself any longer and so he extracted the newspaper without any comment from his robes and placed it in the middle of the table. The boys focussed on the newspaper article right away, but Hermione first looked at him for a long moment and he saw her pulling her Occlumency shields up before she followed the boy's example.

"That sick bastard!" Fred exclaimed only a moment after, leaping from his chair and pacing the room. His brother cursed, shook his head and started re-reading the article. Draco interestingly did not show any outward reaction. The boy had seen enough violence during his last summer holidays when Voldemort resided at his parent's home. He only stared at the paper with a stoical expression on his face for a moment, before his eyes darted to Hermione. He watched her with a calm expression, but somehow it seemed like he was waiting for something. But whatever it was, it was not coming, as Hermione did not react at all. The girl seemed frozen in place, only her eyes moving as she re-read the lines over and over again. After the probably tenth time, she suddenly got up and left the room with a stony expression on her face, the door of her room falling close behind her a moment later. The sound seemed to shake the twins out of their agitation, as they stared at the door with wide eyes a moment after, concern painted over both of their faces.

"We'll follow her," Fred said and dashed for the door only to realize that it was locked a moment later. He helplessly stared at his twin.

Severus sighed. "Leave her alone for now," he said, even though all of him rebelled against the thought of leaving the girl unsupervised. He'd ask Dobby to discreetly watch her, while she was in there. Not that he expected her doing something stupid, but with her being an impulsive Gryffindor one could never know.

Ssssssss

Draco watched Granger's closed door for a while and considered his options. She had reacted better to his proposal than expected and he could see that she was considering it yesterday, as the day went on. Today's article would probably give her the push in the right direction. He could tell that she was feeling guilty over what had happened to Umbridge. He had despised the woman and he was pretty sure Granger didn't have much love for the toad herself, but she did have a kind heart that would still make her feel bad for what had happened. Voldemort had definitely shown his obsession for the girl once more. Maybe he even thought that the Gryffindor would see his actions as a sign of hope or even love, heaven forbid. By what Severus told him the man was farther away from reality as the days went on. The thought of the man's obsessive behaviour was enough to even unsettle him, it must be ten times worse for her. But maybe that was what she needed to finally be shaken out of her passivity.

It was nearing noon when he finally decided to knock on that damned door. "Open the door Granger," he said calmly, being aware that his godfather watched him with observant eyes. For a moment there was no reaction from inside, but finally, the door opened and he stepped inside her room without looking back at Severus, who was still brooding in the living room. The petite Gryffindor waited for him next to the door, her eyes swollen from the tears she had probably shed over that horrible woman. He sighed.

"You know this is not your fault," he said in an attempt to comfort her. She looked up at him with sad, brown eyes.

"I know. But this has to stop," she said, wringing her hands. "People are _dying_ because of that man and even though this might not be my fault, it seems like I can end this. But…"

"I know," he said, looking at her with a grim expression.

They stared at each other for a while, her eyes haunted because of the decision she had to make. He felt pity for her. Slytherin that he was he would have never even considered such a sacrifice himself. He was glad that he wasn't the one having to make that decision.

Finally, Granger's demeanour changed and she looked at him with something like grim determination. „I'll do it," she said and squared her shoulders. "It's the right thing to do, even though the others might not understand."

Draco nodded, relief and nervousness flooding him at the same time. If this worked it could bring the Dark Lord to his knees. But Merlin, Severus would choke him with his bare hands when he learned what he had suggested to her.

Ssssssss

Severus waited for a few minutes after he saw his godson enter Hermione's room. As it was apparent that the boy would not come back out right away he decided to use the chance to finalize the project he had been working on ever since his link to Hermione had been broken. Draco would keep an eye on her and it was probably a good thing the two of them were spending some time with each other, as the boy needed someone to talk to as much as Hermione did. Who would have thought that the Slytherin and the Gryffindor would ever choose to spend time with each other, without one of them storming off a few minutes later? He guessed such a war could bring out the worst as well as the best in people and for both of them it had been the latter.

With a sigh, he looked at the two pendants resting on his nightstands. He had chosen the symbols of each of their houses to represent their different personalities. The design was totally sentimental, but he still hoped Hermione would appreciate it and accept his gift. There were only a few enhancements missing before everything was finished and if Hermione chose to wear her pendant, they would again be able to feel each other and even be able to communicate over large distances if the necessity arose. And if one of them wanted some privacy the pendants could always be taken off. They wouldn't be able to replace their old link, as they would not be able to help each other magically, but considering the circumstances that was a good thing. Severus could be there for his friend and support her, without handing over his magical power to a madman which to him sounded like the perfect solution. Now he only needed to convince Hermione of that idea and to make her accept his gift. He guessed he could only hope that she needed him as much as he needed her.


	74. Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Hermione's sacrifice

"We need to talk," Hermione said, focussing the three of them with a serious expression. She barely touched her lunch and kept staring at the twins and him with a worried expression on her face, which told Severus that there was something on her mind. He had decided to ask her as soon as the meal was over, but he never got the chance to.

"Of course," he said, smiling encouragingly at his friend. It was obvious that something lasted heavily on her mind and it was good if she got it off her chest without them having to pressure her to open up.

The twins, who sat on each of her sides, nodded and Hermione took that as a sign, took a deep breath and said: "We need to bring Voldemort down and fast and I've been looking for a way to do it. I've got the feeling we need to do something fast, otherwise, more people will start dying. And I can't watch this, I can't!"

Severus nodded. That was understandable. Things were about to get ugly. It was only natural that Hermione was looking for a way to prevent that. "I know," he said and looked at his friend. "It is hard to watch, but as long as we have not found and destroyed his Horcruxes we will not be able to kill him, Hermione. And right now we don't even know how many Horcruxes there are, to begin with."

Hermione nodded grimly. "It doesn't matter," she said, her expression turning sad. "We can't destroy all the Horcruxes, as I am pretty sure Harry is one of them. The Draught of Insight revealed to him that there was a piece of Voldemort's soul inside him. I studied everything I could find on that matter, but being a Horcrux is the only explanation I found for this."

Severus sighed. Harry was the part of the equation he refused to think about. Hermione was right, he had long ago suspected that Harry indeed was a Horcrux.

"This can't be!" George protested, his voice shocked. "Think about it, Hermione. Why would Voldemort make him a Horcrux? And when? The only time You-Know-Who met Harry before Hogwarts was when Harry was still a baby and that was the night the man vanished. And I don't think that's how a Horcrux is created…"

Severus tiredly rubbed his forehead. "But Hermione is right, Harry being a Horcrux is really the only thing that could explain what happened to him. He is able to sense Voldemort's emotions and even see what the man is doing from time to time. This isn't a coincidence."

Fred groaned in frustration. "So what if Harry is a Horcrux? We can't simply kill him! Are you trying to tell me this meant we cannot kill You-Know-Who either?"

Severus weighed his head. "I do not have the answer to this, I am afraid. There might be a way to remove a soul piece from its vessel, but it can probably only be done by the owner of the soul piece himself."

"In short: either we kill Harry or the bastard lives," George said darkly. "Is that what you are trying to say? This would mean this war is lost for our side because I am not murdering a friend!" The boy rose to his feet and started to pace the room in agitation.

Hermione followed him with her eyes, a sad look on her face.

"There is a way of ending all this, of bringing Voldemort down. We can't let him go on like this. Professor Umbridge was just the first victim in line, but we all know she won't be the last one and I… I can't watch this, not when I know there's a way of ending it."

Fred and George nodded, their eyes full of understanding. Severus didn't like the undertone of her voice though, as it sounded too much like she was trying to convince them of something.

"If there's a way of ending him, then let's do it," Fred exclaimed and looked at her self-assuredly.

At that, Hermione's expression turned wary. "It's not that easy Fred, because this solution comes with a price and I'm pretty sure you won't like it."

"Try me," the boy answered, a stubborn glint in his eyes, but Hermione shook her head with a sigh.

"We do not necessarily have to kill him for this world to be safe," she said calmly. "Think about it. Even if we managed to destroy those Horcruxes, who would be there powerful enough to end him? Apart from that, it feels wrong to task someone to murder a person, no matter how evil. Think about it. I don't want to kill boys, I am not a murderer and I don't think you are."

Severus looked at her with a solemn expression and nodded. She was right.

"What else would you do if not kill him?" Fred asked, staring at his girlfriend with a raised brow. "Because I can tell you that there won't be a prison secure enough to hold him. He'd be out of Azkaban before you can say _Horcrux_."

Hermione sighed. "What if there was a way to rob him of his magic?" she asked, staring at the redhead with a raised chin. Fred and his brother looked back at her with a regretful look on their faces.

"We and Malfoy talked about this," he said. "You could maybe drain him a few times, but as soon as he realizes you're doing it on purpose, he'd squeeze you empty like an orange, over and over again."

"Not if there is no magical energy for him to find any longer," she said and suddenly the realization hit Severus, like a slap in the face. No, she couldn't honestly consider doing that to herself.

"What are you saying?" George asked her confusedly before Severus could even bring himself to utter a word. "Of course there would be magic in you to find him. You are a witch, Hermione."

Hermione's expression turned sad. "And I am the Open Link, yes. As it appears I am connected to that man as long as both of us are alive and as we just realized, he can not be killed easily. So where does that leave me?"

The twins looked at her with a sad expression, but neither of them seemed to want to answer her question. Severus did not feel like answering it either, as he had the feeling where this was going. And he did not like it one bit.

His friend turned her eyes to him: "I have spoken with Draco. He told me there is a curse that can permanently drain somebody's energy. If it was cast on me, it would not only drain my magical energy but his too. The Link would force him to permanently try refilling my magical core, no matter how hard he tried to resist, right?"

Severus closed his eyes in despair before he opened them again and looked at his godson with a calculating expression. "Did _Draco_ by any chance tell you that the curse he so conveniently mentioned is an Unforgivable Curse, Hermione? It is the one that is not talked about because this sort of thing is simply _not done _these days. Cursing somebody with magical drain was a practice forbidden during the middle ages. Not even Voldemort himself used the spell, as robbing a person of its magic is seen as worse as torture itself, it's _barbaric_."

Fred looked at her with wide, shocked eyes. "Are you trying to tell us, you'd render yourself a Squib, Hermione? Because this is how that sounds to me. You would have to give up your magic."

The girl nodded, a sad look in her eyes. "I know. But it would work, wouldn't it? This way we could stop him."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. Yes, it would work. Lord Voldemort was nothing without his magic. It wouldn't be long until his followers started leaving him as most of them were only bound to him by fear these days or by the hope to get the biggest piece of the cake. Yes, there was Bellatrix and maybe a few others, but without their master to protect them, they could be easily taken care of.

But still. Was Hermione even aware of what this would mean for her? "Do you know why this spell is an Unforgivable Curse, Hermione? It can not be cured, it can only be taken back by the person who cursed you. Should this person not be willing to lift the curse or worse die, you would bear this curse as long as you live. Are you aware of this?"

Hermione nodded, her eyes not wavering from his.

"As soon as he realizes what you have done, he would hunt you, probably try to kill you or torture you to find out, who has been the one cursing you. Are you sure this is what you want for yourself?"

She just stared at him, before her whole posture deflated as the air seemed to rush out of her. "Of course this is not what I _want_," she said looking at him and the twins with a desperate expression in her eyes. "Merlin, I convinced Voldemort himself to let me take my OWLs because they were important to me. But if we really do this, I would never be able to go back to Hogwarts. I'd be constantly on the run…" She shook her head. "Believe me, I've thought a lot about this during the last day. I know how it feels to be a muggle-born witch, but afterwards, I wouldn't even be that. I'd be a Squib, which probably means that I'm not worth more than a house-elf in most people's eyes. I'll probably lose my friends, my home, everything…" she said and Severus could see that she desperately tried to hold back the tears.

He looked at her with a sigh. "Not everything," he said, getting up from his chair. "You'll always have me, I promised to be always by your side and I meant it." He walked around the table and gently put his hand on her shoulder.

Hermione looked up at him, a lonely tear running down her cheek. "Thank you."

From above he could see the twins putting their arms around her from both sides, a teasing grin on their faces. "You'll also have to keep us," Fred said, his voice almost playful. "Or did you think you'd get rid of us like this? Nope, that won't be working, love." George, who was sitting on Hermione's other side, nodded.

"We love you, Hermione, no matter what. Just… please be sure this is what you want to do."

Now all of her attempts to hold back her tears failed and Hermione launched herself at them with a sob. The words seemed to have left her, Severus thought fascinated by the interaction of the three of them. They managed to hold each other, without being bothered by his presence. Neither of them pushed him away, quite the contrary. It wasn't long until Hermione turned around and pulled him close, too and to his surprise, he allowed it without hesitation. He was aware of Draco watching them with a satisfied glint in his eyes and Severus could not help but ask himself, if the boy had played them all. He probably had and Severus decided to talk to him later. He would not let Draco become another Dumbledore that got used to manipulating people around like chess pieces.

The three of them held Hermione for a while, Severus being the first to let go of her. The twins followed his example shortly after, a brave smile plastered on their faces. Gryffindors!

One after the other they sat down again and Severus could feel his head trying to comprehend his friend's plan. If there was one person being able to go through with this, it was Hermione Granger. The girl had lived without magic for almost twelve years and she had lived without a wand under Voldemort's roof. He had seen in her mind that she had not been the one to ask it back from him, but his former master had given it back as he understood, that he could not break her with this. Yes, it would be a hard blow for her, but they would be at her side and catch her if she stumbled. And he was sure there would be a few bumps along the road.

Ssssssss

"Are you happy with yourself?" Severus growled as soon as he had pulled his manipulative godson into his room. Hermione was kept occupied with the twins, which allowed him to take his godson down a notch.

Draco nodded. "You must admit that it is a good solution. No one needs to get hurt any longer and the costs are comparatively low. No one will have to die any longer, there will be no tortured or maimed bodies to be found."

Severus built himself up in front of this insufferable boy and looked at him with a stern expression. "Hermione losing her magic is anything but a trifle. I know you do not care about her, you have bullied her for years, after all."

The boy wanted to reply something, but Severus was not finished. "There is a price to all of this and it is a high one. Only because you are not the one paying it does not mean you should take this lightly. You will never be able to pay her back for this, none of us will. But you and I, we know what she is saving the wizarding world from. We have seen what this man is capable of."

The boy nodded grimly. "Don't worry Uncle Sev. I will not forget what she did for our family and I intend to pay her back, even though I will never be fully able to. It does not matter, I will still try. I swear I will."

Severus nodded grimly. "See that you do. When it becomes common knowledge that she lost her magic, she will need people standing by her side and supporting her. I don't want her to be another Mrs Figg."

"Who is Mrs Figg?" his godson asked confusedly. Severus waved him off.

"Never mind. But there's another thing. If I ever catch you trying to manipulate me again…" he let the words hang in the room. "We do not need another Albus Dumbledore. Is that understood?"

Draco nodded remorsefully. "I won't do it again," he promised seriously. "Is that everything? Can I go?"

He should have left it with that, Severus thought later, but for a moment he could not suppress the impulse and punched the boy into the face. Draco stumbled back several steps and stared at him with wide eyes.

"_Now _you can go," Severus said dismissively and rubbed his aching knuckles. He'd heal them later.

His godson stared at him for a long moment, before he shrugged with a wistful smile. "I guess I deserved that," he said and turned around without another word.

Severus grinned darkly and thought: _Yeah, you really did you little arsehole. _

Ssssssss

Fred and George did not leave her side for the rest of the day and Hermione enjoyed having them close. She had feared to lose them, even though those fears now suddenly seemed ridiculous to her when Fred and George cuddled her on the sofa like that.

"Hermione? Do you have a minute?" Severus suddenly asked and Hermione looked up at him in confusion. Right after they had finished their conversation he had disappeared into his room and was not to be seen for the rest of the day. Now he had suddenly reappeared and stared at her with dark, serious eyes.

She nodded with a smile, that was not entirely able to mask her nervousness. "Of course."

Fred and George immediately let go of her and Hermione followed Severus into his room. It still felt strange to have him back at her side, supporting her and inviting her to his room, after being locked up by a maniac for weeks. But here he was, an unwavering friend and indispensable support at her side.

"I have something for you," he finally announced, as soon as he had closed the door behind her and motioned for her to sit down in one of his armchairs. He seemed nervous, Hermione realized, which was strange as she had never seen him like that. She blinked at him in confusion.

Severus stepped closer and Hermione saw some sort of pendants resting in his palm. One had the form of a beautiful, golden lioness, the other one was a simple silver snake, winding itself around something that looked like a ruby.

"I made these," her friend said calmly. "This one is for you. They aren't simple jewellery but are enchanted to enable us to share our feelings and even speak to each other in our thoughts if we should wish to do so. I know this is not what we had through the link, but you said that you're scared to be alone with him in your head and this way I could at least be there if you need me." He stared down at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "I know there's the twins now, but…"

She didn't let him continue that sentence, as she quickly got up and pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered and leaned her head against his chest. "This is the most thoughtful and personal gift I've ever been given. I can't believe you made this for me and are willing to wear this. I know how you value your privacy."

Hermione felt him shake his head. "I do with almost everyone, but not with you. Still, those pendants can be taken off anytime, if one of us needs some privacy and I would appreciate it if you did so when you have a sleepover with your twins."

"Of course," she hastily assured him, her cheeks colouring with embarrassment.

Severus carefully pulled back from her and looked at her with a hesitant smile on his lips. "They need to be personalized before we can wear them. A drop of blood from each of us on every pendant will make sure that they can be only worn by us and will not work for anybody else. I already my blood to them in case you are wondering. I wanted to build in some sort of protection mechanism in case they fall into the wrong hands."

Hermione nodded, admiring the planning he had put into this. Severus really was a genius, even though probably no one but her was aware of it, as he did not advertise his talents. "That's a brilliant idea," she praised him. "I can't believe you were able to create something as beautiful and clever as this in a matter of days. You must have been working day and night for this."

He nodded with a sheepish smile. "I have. I… I have been missing you, Hermione and sometimes I felt like I was about to lose you, no matter how much I tried to tell myself that this is not the case. To be honest, I think I need them as much as you do. Does that make you feel uncomfortable?"

"What? No!" she said, looking up at him in confusion. "Why would it make me uncomfortable to know that you care about me? You are the best friend I ever had, Severus and considering what I am about to do I think I'll need you more than ever."

Severus stared at her with a solemn expression. "About that: I want you to know that no one is expecting of you to do this. Not a single witch or wizard would ask this of you, do you hear me? So please don't feel pressured into something that you are not ready to do."

Hermione stared at the pendant in his hands. Making a quick decision she pulled out her wand she transfigured a needle out of one of her hairs and jabbed her fingertip. Immediately a drop of blood appeared on her skin and she rubbed it on the first pendant, making it glow silvery. She repeated the process with the other one. She stared at the man in front of her for a long moment, before she took the golden pendant out of his hand and slipped the simple, golden necklace that was added to it over her head. Severus watched her with an unreadable expression, before he slipped on the other necklace, hiding it under his robes so that no one would even know it was there. The effect was immediate, as she felt his presence in her mind almost immediately, as the pendant must have touched his skin. There were worry and affection radiating from him and Hermione put everything she did not find words for into the feelings she sent back to him. He looked at her with wide eyes.

"This works even better than I had imagined," he whispered, his voice hoarse and Hermione nodded happily. Those pendants were really amazing pieces of spellwork.

"They are," she replied and hoped that this new connection would help him to understand her decision better. She wasn't doing this because she felt pressured by others, but the longer she thought about it, the more she realized that it was the right thing to do. They needed to take out Voldemort now, otherwise, the damage that maniac did would be devastating. But there was no other way to take him out immediately, as they would either have to destroy the Horcruxes to do it or duel and incarcerate him. None of those options sounded very promising at the moment.

For a while, the two of them just stared at each other, before Severus gently placed his hand on her shoulder again. "Alright Hermione, I see you have put a lot of thought into this," he said, looking at her with a serious expression. "I'll support you, not only with bracing the curse but also with everything that comes afterwards. You'll have to stay in hiding for a while longer, wait until Voldemort is exposed of having lost his magic. He'll be very dangerous in the next few months."

Hermione nodded, unable to suppress the nervousness that was starting to take hold of her. "Would you… could you…" she started, looking for the right words of what she was going to ask. "I want you to be the one who curses me. The twins…"

"...would not be able to do it," he supplied for her.

"Yeah… and Draco… I could ask him but he has no experience with casting Unforgivables, has he? Apart from that, you're the one I trust. So… could you do it?" Her eyes looked at him imploringly.

Her friend sighed. "Do you have any idea what you are asking of me? Probably not, as you never cast an Unforgivable yourself. Using them always has a price, it taints your magic and soul. Apart from that, you have to mean the curse. You must _want_ to torture, kill, control or rob somebody's magic. And I do _not_ want to do this to you."

Hermione looked at him with sad, understanding eyes. "I see," she said, unable to suppress the disappointment she was feeling. But he was right, she could not ask this of him, not after he had finally left that dark chapter of his life behind.

"Stop," he said, interrupting her thoughts. "I didn't say I would not do it, just that I do not _want _to. I said I would support you, no matter what and I meant it. I will find a way to cast that damned curse, Hermione, but not today. Alright?"

"Of course," she said and stared at him in relief. "Thank you, Severus. I'll never be able to thank you enough for this."

He looked down at her, shaking his head with a crooked smile on his lips. "Say's the girl who is about to sacrifice her magic to save the wizarding world," he replied with dark humour. "You should really start changing your perspective, girl."


	75. Chapter 75

A.N.: I am no expert in Latin. The translation of the spell has kindly been provided by Google Translate. ;-)

Here we go guys. I will try to post one chapter a day until this story is finished. I hope I can do it. It is all written out, but I'm going through every chapter again, before I publish it here. As always I am glad for everyone of you, who made it this far in the story. It is you who keep me motivated to actually finish these stories. ;-)

Chapter 75: Follow me to the ground

"Where do you think Hermione is?" Harry asked his mate, lounging on the sofa of Grimmauld Place. This could have been the best summer holidays of his life, as it was the first time he didn't immediately go back to the Dursleys. Instead, he spent his time at Grimmauld place, talking to Sirius or Ron, but with every passing day, he felt more and more restless.

"Dunno," Ron said, putting down his book on chess theory. "One thing is obvious though, she is no longer with You-Know-Who. Merlin, I can't get this picture from the Prophet out of my head. Umbridge was a bitch, but she didn't deserve this."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, he is looking for her, I can feel it in my bones. And he is starting to get really desperate, probably because he's not able to find her."

"Do you think she's with Fred and George?" Ron asked, his voice hopeful. "We haven't seen them for days, but I don't think anything bad happened to them. They are much too clever for that, right?"

Harry nodded. "If the Death Eaters had killed them, we would know. Voldemort knows that they carried a torch for her and probably the other way around. She's protected them from him at the Ministry, remember?"

"Guess so," Ron replied, his voice broody. "But if she's with them, why don't they come here? Grimmauld Place is our Headquarters, it has the best wards money can buy. She would be safe here!"

_No, she wouldn't_, Harry realized. He felt something shift within him, growing restless like a caged animal. He knew what it was, felt it rattling at the bars of the cage of Occlumency, he had locked it away in. The part of Voldemort's soul stuck in him was growing more and more restless and by now it took all his will power to keep it in line. But he had to, for Hermione. As long as he did not have this thing under control he could not come near her, or he would probably do something he would regret. His feelings towards his friend grew more and more confused with every day that passed: friendship, anger, lust, confusion, longing were only a few of them. He really wanted to find her, to contact her, but so did _he_. What if Harry found her? Would Voldemort know where she was then? Probably, which wasn't something he could let happen, ever. He would not disappoint Hermione again. That maniac had caught her because of his impulsive behaviour once, but not again, never again. Which meant Harry had to stay put, while his thoughts were growing more and more restless. Great holidays, indeed!

Ssssssss

"You sure you want to do this?" George asked, staring down at his girlfriend with a worried expression. Severus watched him tiredly, while he reigned his feelings in and locked them away in a cage once more. He had done it often enough when he had gone on Death Eater raids for his former master. Otherwise, he would have never been able to do what was required of him there. Today he would do it one last time, for Hermione, and after that never again. He was done with the Unforgivables, as they had brought him nothing but suffering.

"I am," Hermione replied with a brave smile on her lips, proving that she truly was a Gryffindor. He could see her new necklace shimmering, as she wore it proudly for everyone to see. He himself had taken his pendant off, as he readied himself for the task he was about to perform. This was not Hermione today, it was a faceless, emotionless puppet he was about to curse. She did mean nothing to him, nothing at all, as one could not have feelings for a puppet, right?

He saw Fred and George Weasley hugging her, whispering encouraging words to her, while Draco sat on the sofa in the background, watching them with an almost bored expression. It was all an act, of course, but the young Malfoy would probably rather bite off his tongue than to admit that he cared for the girl, whose name was no longer important. She was no one.

"Alright, let's do this," the girl said nodding towards the twins with an encouraging smile. Then she stepped away from them, walking towards him with her face schooled into an expressionless mask. He had told her not to address him, to be as passive as possible, if she wanted to make this task any easier for him. He had explained to her what he had to do to himself, to be even able to curse her. The girl had listened to him intensely, hugged him and promised to do as he told her. And she did.

She slowly walked towards him, her eyes cast down at the floor until she was about three metres away. There she halted and waited, her eyes never leaving the spot in front of her on the floor.

In a fluent motion, Severus pulled the wand out of his sleeve and pointed it at her. His mind concentrated on the spell and the intention to cast it, to rob this inconsequential girl of her magic. "Asperio!"

Even if he had never spoken them before, the words flew from his lips with shocking ease, his curse hitting the girl squarely into the chest. For a tiny moment, her eyes snapped up to him, focussed him, before they rolled back in her head and she crumbled on the floor. Detachedly he watched the other boys rush to her side, try to shake her awake and call out to her, but it was of no consequence. She was out to the world, could not hear them, he realized and turned around. He did not look at her again, as he walked towards his room with measured, slow steps. Only after he closed and warded the door behind him, he started to dismantle the cage he had build for his feelings and as he did, they hit him like the worst Crucio into his chest. He had done it, he had robbed Hermione of her magic, rendered her helpless and worthless in the eyes of the wizarding world. He truly was a monster!

He barely made it to his bed, his eyes wet with unshed tears. Just when his knees hit the frame of his bed he felt it, an ever-growing trickle of magic entering his magical core from an external source, her magic. And just then it hit him, why the _Asperio_ truly was an Unforgivable Curse. Hermione's magic wasn't just vanishing, he sucked it out of her, assimilated it without pause, without mercy. He had made the girl his personal source of magical energy and there was nothing she could do against it until he took that Curse of her. Mother of Merlin!

His stomach clenched violently, making him feel sick all of a sudden. In a quick motion, he dashed into his private bathroom, right in time before he lost the contents of his stomach into the toilet. It was years ago since this last happened to him, as he had long ago accepted the self-loathing he felt when he looked into the mirror. How was he supposed to live with that, to look Hermione into her eyes knowing that she had no magic left in her because he was sucking it out of her like a fucking vampire?

Another wave of sickness hit him, making him retch until he was sweaty and his stomach completely empty. Only then he crumpled on the floor next to the toilet, rolling together into a foetal position. And then he cried.

Ssssssss

Lord Voldemort paced the room with restless steps, staring at that useless bunch of Aurors in annoyance. No wonder the Ministry had not been able to track his lioness down, those idiots were even worse than useless, they were a hindrance!

Seven hells, his desire to torture them or another one of those useless idiots grew day by day, but now that he had proclaimed himself Minister and the good guy all eyes were suddenly on him and he hated it. No wonder Fudge had been such a slimy piece of shit in the end…

"What do you mean you could not find them?" he asked, his voice a disdainful sneer. "Fred and George Weasley are barely out of Hogwarts. They are known to come from a poor family and to be hot-headed Gryffindors. And you are telling me you cannot track their wands?"

One of the chief Aurors, Thompson he believed, wrung his hands and looked at him with a helpless expression. "They are probably hiding behind some powerful wards," he said, making Voldemort want to choke him here and now.

He took a deep breath in the hope that it would calm him down. "Did you just listen? They come from a poor family. The wards on the Burrow are a joke and they would not have been able to afford anything better for themselves. A reliable source told me that they are neither at Hogwarts, so I am asking you again: Where are they?"

The bunch of idiots stared at him mutely, like sheep that were facing a wolf that was about to rip them to pieces. Oh, how much he craved to do that. But no, not now. He needed to keep up appearances. After a minute of silence, he pinched the bridge of his nose and got up from the opulent desk that was taking up a good part of his Ministry office.

"You will make these posters and put them up on every wall that is visible to the magical community. If you are not able to find them, someone will, given a large enough bounty on their heads. I want those boys found and then I want to question them. Because if someone knows where my queen is, then it is them." Lord Voldemort looked at them with small eyes and one after the other bowed.

"Yes Minister," Thompson said, saluted and left his office, the other idiots following him. _Minister,_ he thought, a disapproving sneer on his face. How long would he have to bear that title, before he could order them to call him _my Lord_? He'd endure that farce until he had found his queen, he decided, flexing his fingers that already hurt from clenching his hand in frustration. As soon as he had her he would teach those morons a lesson, starting with those infamous Weasley twins. He already had a brilliant idea on how to use their bodies to drive the message home.

He tiredly walked back to his chair and was just about to sit down, as his queen's magic called out for him through the bond. She was terrified, she realized, her magic pleading him to help her, to save her.

_"Where are you?"_ he asked through the bond, but instead of an answer, another wave of fear seeped through the bond, before the energy loss hit him like a Crucio. _Goddamn woman_, he thought, activating the port key that would bring him back to his private chambers at his house. Those morons were not supposed to find him helplessly collapsed on his desk, not ever, as that would probably mean the end of his reign.

He barely realized when his body stumbled onto the floor of his bedroom, his wand slipping out of his hand and rolling away from him on the floor. He made a last attempt to catch it before he felt the world around him shift and darkness mercilessly pulled him into its invisible arms.

Ssssssss

It was the first time Hermione was hit by an Unforgivable Curse and to her big surprise, it did not hurt. The minutes prior to it, were some of the most difficult and terrifying of her life, not because she was afraid of losing her magic or of the pain that might follow, but because she could suddenly understand how it felt to be a victim of a Death Eater raid. Hermione had seen many of Severus' faces, or probably masks was the better term here, but the one he wore today was the most terrifying she had ever seen. His eyes were not only black and expressionless, there was a coldness in them that made her shiver and want to hide as far away from him as possible. She wasn't sure if she would ever forget that look and the feeling to be completely at somebody's mercy or if it would come haunting her in her nightmares.

Hermione did not know how long she was unconscious, but when she woke up she was lying on her back in the twin's bed, both boys holding her carefully between them. She felt strange, a bit tired but not overly so. It almost felt like she had taken a too-long nap, her head still fuzzy from the unexpected amount of sleep. But otherwise, she felt fine.

She opened her eyes with a slow blink and found George staring down at her, his face clouded with worry. It took him a moment to realize that she was awake, but then a huge smile lit up his face and he stared at her in wonder.

"You're awake," he said and touched her cheek with his calloused hand. "How are you feeling?"

Before she could answer Fred's face came into view, his brown eyes studying her face with concentration. "Is there anything you need? A glass of water maybe?"

Hermione looked at them with a fond smile. "I'm feeling alright, I guess, a bit strange to be honest, like I'm suddenly missing something but can't put a finger on it. But that's alright, I'm sure I'll get used to that feeling in no time."

The twins nodded, a solemn expression on their faces. "If there's anything we can do," George said, his eyes so full of love and acceptance that it robbed her breath for a moment. "Just let us know, alright?" How did she even deserve those wonderful boys at her side? Whatever news she threw at them, they were taking it in stride, never wavering in their affection for her, never questioning her decisions. She did not know how she had won their love and their loyalty, but she was determined to keep both of it, both of them.

"There is indeed something," she replied slowly, before she sought them out with her eyes, a shy smile on her lips. "I really feel like I could use some more Weasley cuddles and a few more kisses probably wouldn't go amiss as well."

Her boys pulled her into their arms with a wide smile on their faces.

"We'll cuddle you all night, love if this makes you feel better," George whispered and pulled her into a slow kiss, while his fingers disappeared between her thick locks. She turned towards him with a happy sigh and started to lazily explore his mouth with her tongue, her hands latching onto his T-Shirt and holding him close.

"And we'll gladly kiss you or distract you if that is what you want. You're not leaving this bed today, woman," he whispered and kneaded her tense shoulders with his hands, making her moan into George's mouth. "We wouldn't want you to collapse in the middle of the living room, would we?"

When he touched her like this, his clever fingers finding every sore spot and knot in her muscles, she would have agreed to almost anything, she thought, leaning into his touch with pleasure. "Absolutely not," she murmured, her voice almost a purr.

Fred chuckled into her ear. "Good," he whispered, his fingers expertly massaging the muscles of her back. "Because I'm determined to show you how much I love you, with or without your magic Hermione. To us, this doesn't matter."

George nodded and Hermione did not know whom of them to kiss first, her heart overflowing with love and gratefulness towards them. "I love you too," she whispered, turned around and kissed Fred with a desperation that was totally unknown to her. "I love you so much," she whispered while her mouth worshipped his lips with a fever that seemed to grow with passing every minute. But the two of them met her passion without hesitation, pulling her against their bodies with a passion that made her feel hot all over and ache to them within her. Luckily they met her urges only too willingly.

Much later, when her head was bedded on Fred's chest and George was firmly pressed against her from behind she felt a peacefulness, that she had not felt in a very long time. If their plan had worked as it was supposed to, Voldemort would no longer be powerful enough to hurt the once she loved. And as her ear was pressed against Fred's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart she knew that she would be fine with or without her magic. She would find her way and she would not have to do so alone.


	76. Chapter 76

A.N.: Hello guys. This story is slowly starting to wind down now. But I am taking my time to not hurry the ending. Letting this story go is hard enough as it is.

Chapter 76: The man in the mirror

When Hermione, Fred and George emerged from the twin's room in the morning, Malfoy already waited for them on the sofa.

"How do you feel?" he asked and looked at her critically, but for some reason, Hermione believed to recognize a worried undertone in his voice.

"Better than I expected," she admitted with a small smile on her lips. "But I will need some time to adjust, not physically, but the implications of my decision just start to hit me."

The boy nodded. "Understandable. Your whole world just turned upside down."

Hermione nodded, a bit astonished by the boy's insight. Then she looked around in the room with furrowed brows. "Where's Severus?" she asked and saw that Malfoy's face turned sour.

"He hasn't come out of his room since after he cursed you. I tried talking to him through the door, but he just sent me away. I'm worried." It was the most open Hermione had ever seen the boy, which was saying something about his emotional state right now. He really was worried, which immediately had her worried, too.

"Severus, can you hear me?" She sent the mental question into his direction, but a moment later she realized that he must have taken his pendant off, because she could not feel him and got no answer. This wasn't good.

"I'll go and talk to him," she said out aloud, earning herself a nod from the three of them.

Only a few seconds later she was at Severus' door and knocked gently. "Severus? Can I come in?" she asked and immediately heard him shuffle around on the other side. But there was no answer from him. "Severus?" she asked again and this time there were steps close to the door.

"Go away Hermione," she heard him say a moment later, his voice sounding somewhat strange. "I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

Hermione sighed. "Severus, _please_. We don't have to talk if you don't want to. Just let me in."

"No," he said, his voice flat. For a moment she considered leaving him be, but then something inside her told her that her friend needed her. And she wasn't about to be sent off like a schoolgirl by an unnerved Professor, especially not by him. For that, they had lived through too much shit together. She would not let him push her away, not when he obviously needed her.

Sssssss

"Severus Snape, open that door or I swear I will tear it down with my bare hands!" Hermione yelled, while constantly knocking at his door for almost five minutes now. This girl simply did not want to give up and leave him alone, no matter how often he told her that he did not want to talk to her, or to _anybody_ really. He couldn't even look at himself in the mirror right now, couldn't face the man he had become over the years. Lily would be disgusted by him, he realized, and so should everybody else.

"Don't be ridiculous, Hermione. You can't. I have warded that door and you don't even have your magic any longer. I've taken it away from you. You can't get in," he said sadly. "No matter how hard you try."

"Oh, you just watch me!" Hermione muttered. She was furious, that much was obvious, but a moment later he could hear her stomp away with angry steps. It wouldn't be too long until she realized that she could indeed not break through a simple ward. Then she would start seeing what she had given up, given to him. And he'd be surprised if she still wanted to see him afterwards.

Ssssssss

"Oh, this _man_!" Hermione muttered furiously and Fred saw her rummaging through various cupboards in the flat. What was she doing in the kitchen and in the room that was holding the cleaning supplies?

"Just leave her," George whispered, eying their girlfriend with a resigned expression on his face. "You know mum is starting to cook and clean when she's mad. This is probably a female thing." Fred shrugged and together with his brother he retreated to the sofa, seeing Hermione disappear into her room with various bottles and bowls, silently muttering curses before she closed the door with a loud bang.

For a while the flat fell silent, Malfoy shuffling around somewhere in the background, watching his godfather's door with a gloomy expression on his face.

Then suddenly, Hermione emerged from her room, two bottles of something undefinable in her hand and looked at them with a sour look on her face that would have made McGonagall herself proud. "Silence the flat," she instructed them sternly "and then duck and shield."

Fred looked at her with a confused look on his face, but he knew better than to question his girlfriend. He didn't fancy sleeping on the floor tonight.

Hermione watched them for a moment, before she turned around with a loud huff, marching towards Snape's door with balled fists.

"Severus Snape," she shouted. "This is your one last chance. Open that door!"

But if there was an answer from inside, Fred was not able to hear it. For a while, nothing happened. Then suddenly they saw Hermione storm off, before a moment later a large explosion shook the flat, blowing a large hole into the wall in the corridor. Fred heard a loud curse from inside Snape's room and a moment later they saw him look through the hole at Hermione, who was standing in front of him, her skin black with smoke and her hair standing up at all sides. She was looking like an avenging angel right on her way to bring justice to everybody deserving of it.

"I told you I would open that door," she said matter of factly and stepped towards the astonished men with slow steps. "And now move aside, you idiot."

Snape stared at her for a long moment. Then he did as she said, his eyes still wide in disbelief.

"Hermione can be really scary when she gets in that sort of mood," George murmured next to him, before he closed the door to the living room with a wave of his wand. He probably attempted to give Snape and Hermione some much-needed privacy.

Fred nodded, crossing his arms behind his head. "But you can't deny that she's also kind of sexy, when she's starting to blow things up like that," he added, an admiring glint in his eyes.

Ssssssss

Severus watched the girl walk into his room, a dark expression on her face. Her eyes were full of fire, while her mouth was set into a straight line and for some reason he thought that this must be the expression she wore with Potter and the younger Weasley, when they had again made idiots out of themselves.

"I didn't know the twins had their supplies in the flat," he said, unwilling to move from his spot close to the door. He probably should fix that wall, he thought, but his wand was lying on his nightstand as he could not bring himself to use it again after speaking that particular curse. Even touching it right now felt wrong and the idea of using it, of using _her_ magic felt even worse.

Hermione stomped towards him with a furious expression on her face. He'd never seen her like that, but he supposed he did deserve every bit of her anger. "You think I needed the Weasley twins to blow up your goddamned wall. Really? You really are an idiot, Severus Snape."

She stopped right in front of him and motioned towards the wracked wall. "This is _chemistry_, Severus. I don't need magic to blow up a stupid wall. So don't you dare ever tell me again what I can and cannot do. Did I make myself clear?"

He stared at her with a dumbfounded expression. "You broke into my room with Muggle science," he said. "When did you learn how to do that?"

The girl snorted humorlessly. "So_ now_ you want to talk, do you?" she asked, pricking his chest with her index finger.

He looked down at her with a tired sigh. "I'm sorry if I hurt you," he said and looked down at her sadly. "This was never my intention."

Their eyes met. "Hurt me? You did not hurt me, you idiot, you scared me, not by _cursing_ me but by hiding in this damned room for god knows how long without talking to anybody. I can understand that you don't want to see me after what I made you do. But Draco, too? He's your godson I've been told." She started to pace in front of him. "I was worried sick when I couldn't feel you through our pendants. I thought that's what they were there for? To reassure the other that one was alright or to call for help if one wasn't? I just want to know if you are alright, how I can help you, Severus."

"You are worried about me," he stated tonelessly and looked at her in confusion. "Why?"

"Because I _care_ about you, Severus," the girl said heatedly, her eyes flowing over with feelings. "Isn't that obvious?"

It was. Hermione Granger cared about him, no matter how little he deserved it. And that realization made him feel even worse. "But I'm not the one that got hurt, you were. _I_ hurt you, Hermione. How can you not see this? Merlin, how can you even look at me right now?"

He saw her taking a deep breath, before her hand trailed down and took his hand. "You did _not_ hurt me," she assured him, her eyes pleading for him to believe her. "Severus, I _asked_ you to do this, to speak that curse. But looking at you now, I realize that I shouldn't have. I'm sorry if I asked too much of you."

Severus stared down at their entwined hands, his throat suddenly tightening with unexpressed feelings. It was impossible to reply for him right now, as he was pretty sure no words would come out of his mouth if he tried to speak. So instead he took a shaky breath and pressed Hermione's hand. She looked up at him with a pleading expression.

"Severus, please," she whispered. "Where is your pendant? Just put it on and then we will talk about this."

He looked down at her with a sigh. She was right, they needed to talk. He needed to tell her what he had done, that he had not only cursed but robbed her and maybe then she would start to understand.

"Alright, I will go and get it," he said and let go of their hands. Severus walked to his nightstand, opened the drawer and took out the pendant that he had carefully wrapped in black silk. He looked towards her and saw that she was watching him with brown, worried eyes. Alright, he could do this, he told himself. Making a short decision he put on the necklace and hid it under his robes. Immediately he could feel her worry for him, her friendship that seemed to engulf him like a warm embrace. And instantly he felt reassured and felt his chest untighted, making it suddenly easier for him to breathe.

"Shall we sit down?" she asked, her voice suddenly sounding small and hesitant, probably because she could now also feel his fear and disgust towards himself. He nodded and walked her over to the armchairs, where she sat down with a sad expression on her face.

"There is no reason for you to feel guilty towards me, Severus," Hermione said kindly as soon as he had sat down next to her. "You did what I asked you to, nothing more, alright? I am fine, I promise."

He nodded, as he could feel that she was telling the truth. "Very well, I believe you. But Hermione, you don't know half of it. Your magic, it isn't just _gone_. By cursing you I stole it, Hermione, _I _have it now, all of it."

For a moment his friend did not react to his words, but through their pendants he could feel that her words confused her. She stared at him with furrowed brows, started gnawing at her bottom lip and after a while she said: "That does not make sense, Severus. Not that I don't believe you. But why would someone like Voldemort not use this spell to make himself even more powerful? He would not have needed an Open Link to get the most powerful wizard on Earth, would he?"

Severus nodded contemplatively. It was true, he realized. Voldemort had been throwing Unforgivables around like candies, he would have used this one mercilessly, no matter how disgusting and forbidden it was. "You're right. The only reason I can imagine for him to not have used it is that he did not know what would really happen if somebody got cursed with this. It was not written in the book, or in _any_ book I remember. The curse was not used for several centuries, but maybe this was why it was banned to begin with. I mean, imagine what would happen if it was used extensively. A few wizards would grow stronger and stronger, leaving behind a trail of helpless Squibs. No magical society could survive this, they would go extinct."

Hermione agreed with a nod. "Probably, as most wizards are not muggle born and therefore prepared for what a loss of their magic would mean to them." One of her fingers disappeared in her mouth and he could see that she had started torturing her nail now. "I can imagine that the full description of the curse was left out on purpose for that reason. And if the curse was used by someone anyway, it would always leave a Squib behind that would raise questions and demand punishment or a reversal of the curse. There is no way of casting that curse in secret, or at least it would have been very difficult to, as someone would have always noticed what happened to the victim."

Hermione was right. Whoever was hit by that curse would have bent heaven and hell to get his magic back, resulting in the caster getting punished heavily. Not that this would have held back the Dark Lord if he had been aware of the power that curse could have bestowed on him. But luckily not even the Dark Lord had discovered all dark secrets magic had to offer.

"The world must never know" Hermione said, looking at him with a vivid expression in her eyes. "They must not know that you have my magic now, no matter what. You must keep this secret Severus, or the consequences could be devastating."

"Indeed," he replied gravely and took her hand into his. "This must remain a secret between the two of us. You can't even tell the twins, because the more people know about it, the higher is the risk of somebody blabbering it out by accident. And we cannot risk this."

"This secret will stay between you and me," she promised, locking her eyes with him. "I guess at some point news of me losing my magic will come out, but we can say that it is just gone, or blocked. Can we not?"

Severus looked at her with a sad expression. "To this world I am dead, Hermione and I plan to leave it that way. If Voldemort knows I am still alive he will know that I was the one cursing you. He will do anything he can to make me take that curse back from you."

She looked at him for a long moment, her eyes full of confusion. "So what do you plan to do? Hide in this damned flat until you are old and grey?"

He shrugged. Yes, he had considered this but after finally being free of all obligations he did not feel like locking himself away in a self-made prison. "I thought about re-inventing myself. I brewed Voldemort a potion to restore his old body. I am sure I could find something to change my appearance as well. This way I could stay at your side and no one would have to know it is me you are friends with."

His friend did not react right away, but suddenly he could feel her growing anger through the bond and he could see her eyes light up with fire. "What is this supposed to mean, Severus? Do you think that I am _ashamed_ of this friendship? Do you think I _care_ what others think about this? I don't!"

"Not even Potter and Weasley? Because I can tell you they will not like this, Hermione," he replied calmly.

To his surprise Hermione snorted. "Harry and Ron either accept this, or they will at least learn holding their tongues. I don't accept someone talking bad about my friends and that is what you are Sev, my friend."

It was the first time she called him by that pet name and he realized he liked it. Hearing it made him feel warm and fuzzy all over. "And Voldemort? He will start hunting me and I don't feel like running away the rest of my life," he said flatly.

Hermione pressed his hand, before she sent him an encouraging smile. "Then don't! All we have to do is wait until somebody notices he has lost his magic. It might take a while, but I hope that he will lose most of his followers after a while. When this happened, there is nothing you need to be afraid of any longer. Voldemort has no power left whatsoever, _you_ have it, Severus. If there is someone with a reason to be afraid, then it is him."

Severus looked at his friend in wonder. She was right, there was no reason to run from this man any longer. He was free of him and Dumbledore and there was no reason for him to hide, to stay dead. It would have been the easier way for him, but maybe it was time for him to be a Gryffindor too, for once.

"Alright, I will stay who I am, Hermione. Even though I have gotten tired of that old, grumpy face."

The girl nodded with a happy smile. "Then start being less grumpy, Sev. I can do anything I want now and so can you. I guess neither of us will return to Hogwarts, at least I don't feel like you feel inclined to return. Think about what would make you happy, Sev and then do it."

He looked at her for a long moment, before suddenly an idea came to his mind. He smiled. "How do you feel about a long holiday in Australia, Hermione? We'll have to stay in hiding anyway and we could as well do that there."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "You want to go on holidays?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief. "I never thought Australia would be the country you'd want to travel to."

Severus snorted, his eyes unable to hide the happy glint any longer. "It isn't. But I thought you might want to travel there and spend some time with your parents."

He had barely finished the sentence, as he suddenly found himself in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh could we, really?" she asked excitedly and he could feel her excitement seeping through the bond, infecting him, too. And for the first time in many years Severus Snape truly believed that things would be well for him, in the end.

Sssssss


	77. Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Getting you back

Voldemort realized that something was amiss when he could not summon his food during breakfast the next morning. No matter how hard he tried or raged, not a single spark of magic would come out of his wand rendering the stupid thing useless like a common stick from the woods. How was that possible? What had happened to his queen and more importantly: what had happened to him? The link between him and her was still intact, he could feel her feelings through the bond: confusion, anger and then regret. What had those bastards done to her and therefore done to him? Listening inside him he could feel his magic trickle away constantly, like sand in an hourglass, only that it was no longer enough to satisfy his queen's needs and therefore the flow of magic through the bond never stopped.

He waited all day and could feel her feelings change from time to time until she felt almost happy. But that did not make sense. Why would she feel happy, when she seemed to be in dire need of his magical support? His magic did not return, as his queen constantly sucked it out of him, her hunger for it seeming insatiable. This was bad, really bad. He needed his queen back, _now_, but for the first time in centuries, Lord Voldemort was at a loss of what to do.

Ssssssss

"We are coming with you!" Fred and George exclaimed excitedly, as soon as Hermione brought them the news of her planned journey.

Hermione smiled. She hadn't expected anything else and really counted on their support when it came to explaining the whole story to her parents. She could only hope that they would understand and eventually forgive her for wiping their memories and sending them away.

"But you'll have to use a muggle aeroplane," Hermione said, smiling at them nervously. "Severus and I decided that would be safest. I hope you don't mind?"

The redheads looked at her with a smile. "Nah, it's fine," Fred assured her with a grin. "Dad will go nuts if we tell him we used one, one day."

"And we'll need to get used to doing things the muggle way from time to time," George said, gently taking her hand into his. "We intend to be part of your life for a long time, love and if that means learning to do things differently, so be it."

Hermione smiled widely and pulled the two of them in a lingering kiss. It was interrupted by somebody clearing his throat and when Hermione looked up dazedly, she saw Malfoy staring at them with an amused expression on his face. "I will not come with you," he said with a shrug. "Instead I will go back to my parents. They, of course, will have noticed my disappearance and I plan to help them through the difficult times that are ahead of us. My father is not well and still at St Mungos and my mother will need all the help she can get to get through the time that comes."

"Of course," Hermione said and stepped closer to the boy. When she was standing right in front of him, she offered him her hand for a handshake. "Thank you for coming with us, Malfoy. You were the ally we all needed. You were right, you and I are not friends, but maybe we could become that, one day. I would really like that, you know?"

For a moment the boy stared silently at Hermione's hand before he took it with a friendly smile on his lips. "So would I. Thank you for being a Gryffindor, Granger. I will never forget what you did for all of us," he swore his voice sounding sincere.

Hermione did not know what to say to that and so she simply shook his hand with a smile.

"And now off with you to your bedroom. I don't fancy watching you snogging each other's brains out," he said, an amused smile on his lips that told her he was only teasing them good-naturedly.

Hermione smiled. "You should try finding someone to snog yourself," she said cheekily and winked. "I can only recommend it."

"Hear, hear!" Fred said cheekily and before Hermione knew what was happening, he lifted her up and carried her towards their bedroom bridal style. Malfoy watched them and snorted amusedly. Her squealing and giggling could be heard through all of their flat.

Sssssss

"Calm down, Mione," Fred soothed his girlfriend and patted her hand, while George flanked her from the other side. "They are your parents, Hermione. Of course, they will forgive you."

"Eventually," Severus unhelpfully added from behind and Fred could not resist but glare at the man's negativity. Snape just stared back at him with a raised brow.

It took Hermione five more minutes to finally ring the doorbell and another minute for Hermione's mum to open it. She looked at the four of them in confusion, no recognition gleaming in her eyes. Fred could see Hermione open her mouth to rattle off the excuse she rehearsed during half of the plane-ride, but before she could get a single syllable out her mother passed out from a stunner, Severus had sent in her direction without much hesitation.

Hermione turned around and looked at him with an accusing expression on her face. The man looked at her with a shrug.

"I thought you would not appreciate having to lie to your mother," he said matter of factly and levitated the unconscious woman inside. Hermione's father, who ran towards them a moment after, joined his wife on the floor. Fred held Hermione, who watched her parents with watery eyes, while Severus levitated both of them into the living room of the beautiful house, they had moved in. Then he set himself to work to restore their memories, while George excused himself to the kitchen to brew some tea, which he generously laced with calming draught - Hermione and her parents would really need that. He was back to the living room right in time for the Grangers to wake up, Hermione sitting across from them in the armchair with an anxious expression on their face.

"Mum? Dad?" she asked with a small voice, her eyes raking over her parent's faces in the hope to find some sign of recognition in them. At first, the older Grangers just blinked at her sleepily, before they looked at the other inhabitants of the room. Then their eyes trailed back to Hermione before their brows knitted together in confusion.

"Hermione?" Mr Granger said, his voice stern. "What is the meaning of this? Why are we in this strange house and who is that?" He motioned towards Severus, who stood behind Hermione with an unreadable expression on his face.

Hermione sniffled before she leapt from her place and threw herself at the both of them, hugging them under tears. "You remember me," she hiccuped, clinging to her father with the desperation of a small child. "You really remember me."

"Of course we remember you, darling," her mother soothed her while stroking her curls. "Why wouldn't we?"

There was no time for Hermione to answer, as Severus simply said: "Because I deleted your memory and let you move out to Australia, which is where we currently are."

Their heads snapped up to him before they looked at him with a distrustful look in the eyes. "And who are you, Sir? What gave you the right to do this?" Hermione's father asked and gently pushed his daughter away. He was just about to get up when Hermione said calmly:

"Because I asked him to, dad. It's a long story, a lot has happened since Christmas."

Now it was Hermione's mother who looked at her with a stern expression on her face. Fred had always found her a light-hearted woman, but now he realized that there was much more to her than he first thought. Merlin, how would she react when Hermione told her, that he and Georgie both dated her daughter? That wasn't a thing Muggles used to do, right?

"We better move over to the sofas Dan, because I think this young Miss has a lot of explaining to do."

Hermione nodded mutely, her eyes seeking out his nervously. Fred nodded and cast her an encouraging smile before he started to levitate the tea towards the coffee table. This would be a long morning, he guessed, but there would hopefully be a happy family in the end.

Ssssssss

"This is a lot to take in," her dad said, staring at her with a serious expression on his face. Hermione nodded and stared back at him guiltily. From the look on his face, she could tell that her father was not very happy with her.

"What I don't get is," her mother said after a moment, "why you didn't simply talk to us. You just could have told us all these things and we would have been out of Britain in the blink of an eye. We would have done anything to know you're safe."

Hermione closed her eyes in despair. That had been the point. She hadn't wanted to go with them, but she had known that her parents wouldn't have let her stay behind. But now that she had to explain her reasoning to them she realized that she had simply taken the decision out of their hands. "I just wanted you safe," she said pleadingly. "You are Muggles and they would have used you shamelessly to get to me. But I… I could not come with you, I needed a witch or wizard to link myself to and I had already linked myself to Severus. I could not simply go with you and leave him behind."

She saw her father take a deep breath and stared at her and Severus for a long moment. It was impossible to say what he was thinking, but it sure wasn't a happy thought. "So you thought it was the best choice to let your Professor brainwash your parents and stay behind to fight a war that, to make yourself a chess piece to be moved around, even though you were still a child? _Really_ Hermione? You could have gotten yourself killed or raped by that maniac and we wouldn't even have _known_!"

Hermione stared at her hands that were folded in her lap. "I know," she said. "And I am really sorry."

But her father wasn't finished. "Are you? Because I don't think you are. You would do it again if you could go back in time, no matter if things ended with you getting kidnapped, linked to a maniac and without magic. Am I right?"

She nodded sadly. "You are right. I would do it again. But don't you see? We beat him! Voldemort can not hurt anybody any longer. If I would have left with you, things would have gotten so much worse!"

Her dad shook his head. "How do you know? Didn't the real problem start when he connected himself with you? He wouldn't have been able to find you, Hermione and that war would have been fought by the people who are supposed to keep you kids safe, the _adults_. It cannot be the job of a teenage girl to save the wizarding world. Most of those people had nothing but disdain for you because you were born to non-magical people. Do you think they will thank you now?"

"I don't know," she said defeatedly. "But I also don't really care. All I wanted is my friends to be safe. And you."

Her mum sighed, while her father tiredly rubbed his forehead. The whole situation reminded her of the fiasco with mums orchids and her microscope, or maybe the one with the fish tank she hid in her wardrobe to breed tadpoles. Only this time she had messed up ten times worse.

How was she supposed to set this right, to make them forgive her? She didn't know. Because she had betrayed their trust in the worst way imaginable to her.

"What will you do now?" Hermione finally brought herself to ask and suddenly she felt like her ten-year-old self awaiting her punishment.

"This we still need to decide," her father decided, looking at her with a serious expression. "And I mean _all of us_, Hermione. Because this is how it should be done, don't you think?" He looked at her with a questioningly raised brow.

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "Does that mean you forgive me for what I've done?"

At that, her mum smiled. "You are our daughter Hermione. We will always forgive you, no matter how badly you messed up. That doesn't mean we will not assure that you've learned your lesson, young Miss."

She nodded before she pulled them in a tight, teary hug. "Thank you mum, dad," she said and when she looked up at her friends, she could see the twins smile encouragingly. Severus' face was his usual, inexpressive mask but when he realized that she was looking at him, he sent her the tiniest of nods.

Sssssss

George felt strangely reminded of the day last year when he met Hermione's parents properly for the first time. Their house in Australia also had a pool and once the first dust had settled, Hermione's parents invited them to stay at their house and join them for a day outside at the pool. After being trapped inside Snape's flat for so long there was nothing George would have rather done. Spending the days at the pool with his gorgeous girlfriend sounded perfect!

Even Snape joined them outside. Seeing the man in swimming trunks and a T-shirt was the strangest sight, as they had only seen him in his dark teaching robes so far. But today he lounged in a sunchair, sunglasses on his long nose, and read a book. Hermione first looked like she would join him, but then she got closer, shed her T-shirt on the sun bench next to him and dove into the pool, Fred following her with a happy shout and a header. George looked at his two favourite people with a smile. It had been long ago since he saw Hermione this happy and careless.

"You are George, aren't you?" he suddenly heard Hermione's mother ask from behind.

"Uh yeah, I'm George," he said, a crooked smile on his lips. "How can you tell? Most people have problems telling us apart and you've only met us a few times."

"So? You two are still different people," the woman replied with a friendly shrug. "You behave very differently, even though you do look somewhat alike. But when one starts watching you, especially around my daughter, it is pretty clear who's who." She twinkled.

George rubbed his head. "Well, when you put it that way," he said, with an awkward grin.

"So tell me, George, how long are you and Fred already dating my daughter?" the woman suddenly asked, a knowing smile on her lips. Hell, the three of them had been extra cautious to not bring attention to their relationship for now, as Hermione found her parents had already enough to digest. But something must have given them away, as it appeared. Damn.

"Well, it's only been a few days," he said vaguely and stared at Hermione and Fred in the pool. The both of them were playing a wild game of water ball, squealing and splashing water all around the pool. "Ever since we got her back from that bastard. But we're not planning to let her go anytime soon."

"Good," Mrs Granger said with a smile and gently touched his arm. "I can tell you're good for her, even though Dan might need a while until he's convinced of that. Don't let him scare you away, he's very protective of his little girl."

George nodded understandingly. He knew how his father behaved when it came to Ginny and he imagined it was pretty much the same here. "He cannot be scarier than Severus is, at times. We survived having potions with him for several years, it can't get much worse than having detention with him."

At that, Emma Granger snorted. "By everything Hermione told us about him in her letters over the years, I guess you are right. Still, I recommend letting Hermione sleep in her own room for now, even though it might be difficult. Use the evenings to take her on a few dates and you will see that Dan will come around. Apart from that, it can't hurt to get to know your girl outside of school and war, don't you think?"

George nodded with a happy grin. He could tell that Hermione's mother meant well with her advice. And going on a few dates with Hermione in this beautiful country sounded like a pretty brilliant idea.

Ssssssss

Severus could not deny that he was jealous of Hermione for having such understanding and accommodating parents. Having spent the day with them and watching their discussion with their daughter made him realize how messed up his own childhood had been. His father would have beaten him to a pulp had he dared to even raise his wand in his presence, let alone hex him. He had expected at least some severe trouble for Hermione, which had been his reason to accompany her to Australia. But Hermione's father did not even look tempted to raise his hand against his daughter. All he had done was discuss her mistakes calmly, showing disappointment but never anger. And that was not what Severus had expected, given the circumstances. Had he known of the forgiving and understanding nature of these muggles he would have never agreed to Hermione's request to obliviate and send them away. Because Dan Granger was right: it had never been Hermione's job to bring peace to a world that had nothing but disdain for her. But what was done was done and now he could only hope that those Muggles would be as forgiving with him, as they had been with their daughter.

"Well, Professor Snape," Hermione's father addressed him once the kids had retired into their corresponding rooms. He himself had decided to stay behind in the living room, hoping to initiate some kind of discussion between him and the Grangers. He was not to be disappointed. "I must thank you for getting my daughter out of this hell hole. I figured it was not a small feat to do so. Thank you for being there to support her, when we could not do so."

Severus nodded modestly. "I owe your daughter more than I can ever pay back," he admitted, looking at the man with a serious expression. "And I don't mean her saving us from that maniac. She has saved me long before and I'm not even sure she's fully aware of it."

Dan Granger looked at him with a contemplative expression on his face. "It is not my place to ask for any details here," he said calmly. "But I need to ask you, what your relationship towards my daughter is. What are you to her? A mentor? A father figure?"

Severus weighed his head, as he contemplated the question. "I do not view her as the daughter I never will have," he said carefully and closed the book he had been reading on the sofa. "I am too dependent on her friendship for that. Hermione was for a long time the first person that accepted me the way I am and it did not take long until she decided I was her friend. I do not deserve this friendship, but I cherish it more than I can ever put into words. I would be thrilled if she would accept me as a mentor, especially now that the way back to Hogwarts is closed for her."

Hermione's father looked at him for a long moment. "Is that even possible now, that she has given up her magic? What is there left for her to learn, now that the magical world no longer has a place for her?"

"Who says there is no place for her?" Severus found himself asking with a raised brow. "There are a few branches that are still open to her. I've been told she has quite a talent for Arithmancy, which is probably best compared to muggle mathematics, even though there are some major differences. But I could also offer her a potions apprenticeship if she would be interested. Even though some potions do require the addition of some spells, most of them do not. I am sure there would be a way to make a career as a Potioneer possible for her if that's what she wishes to do."

Dan Granger nodded, a friendly smile on his lips. "This is for her to decide," he said. "But one thing is clear. Hermione could not have found a better friend than you, Professor."

"Severus," he corrected and offered the man his hand. Dan Granger took it with an appreciating nod.

"Severus, then. You're definitely miles better than those immature teenage boys, she's been hanging around with before. She's had so much grief because of those idiots."

Severus snorted. "Don't worry about them. Hermione is not the same girl she has been when they last saw her. She can hold her ground pretty well these days."

Hermione's father nodded proudly. "She has grown into a strong, young woman. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when those idiots try messing around with her again."

At that, Severus sent him an amused grin. "You know, this could surely be arranged somehow."

Ssssssss


	78. Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Muggle science

Hermione hated sleeping alone, but the twins had assured her that it was for the best, at least until her parents had given their blessings for their relationship. She still wasn't of age in the wizarding world and in the Muggle world, it would take her even longer to be allowed to make her own decisions. And as Hermione did not want another source of conflict between her and her parents, she grudgingly bid the two of them goodnight with a chaste kiss and trudged into her own room. But even after one hour of lying in bed, she did not feel like she could fall asleep anytime soon, the jetlag and the encounter with her parents keeping her awake against her will.

"_Where are you?" _suddenly asked a voice in her head and with dismay, she realized that it was not Severus talking to her. Ever since her friend had cast the Unforgivable Curse on her, the link to Voldemort seemed to have died down. But now it suddenly flamed up with unexpected intensity.

Suddenly Hermione was wide awake, panic rising inside her. With every minute she could feel that horrible man more and more intensely, she felt his desperation, his longing for her and his determination to find out where she was. And suddenly she knew that he would try to use the bond to do so.

"Severus, help!" she thought and clutched her golden pendant, that she had not taken off tonight. She could only hope that her friend also wore his, but she could have sworn to have felt his presence through it earlier. And really, it was only a matter of seconds until the man directly apparated to her room and stared at her with an alarmed expression.

"What's wrong?" he asked and looked around the room like he was expecting to find somebody lurking in the shadows. But of course, there was no one there.

"He's in my head," she whispered, her voice shaking with fear. "He's right there, talking to me, trying to find out where I am. I've never felt him this intensely before, it feels like he's right there."

Severus kneeled down in front of her, his eyes studying her face with an intense expression. She could see that he was analysing the situation, trying to find a way out for her. But they both knew that the Link connecting her to that madman would always be there. "Alright, calm down," he said and gently took her hand. "The more you panic the easier it gets for him. Strong feelings make it easy to access a mind, remember? Breathe."

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath, then another. Still, Voldemort's question kept echoing through her head, growing more and more intense with every moment that passed. She clutched her head with a pained moan.

"Calm down," Severus instructed her with a deep voice. "He is not really here, I am. I won't let him take you, he has no power over you, do you hear me?"

"Yeah," Hermione rasped out and slowly her heart rate started to slow down.

"Good," her friend said and a moment later she could feel his hands on her temples, carefully massaging them with light pressure. It did not really help her relax, but the feeling was enough to momentarily distract her from her panic. "Do you remember your Occlumency lessons?" Severus suddenly asked. "I taught you to build a place for your most sacred memories, a place that no one but you would find. Is it still there?"

"It is. I would have been lost while being with him if I didn't know my secrets were safe," Hermione admitted solemnly.

"Very good," Severus praised her before he sought out her eyes. "I want you to go there, Hermione. Try to push your consciousness into that one hiding spot. Imagine it with everything you have and will yourself to hide behind these protections. Can you do that?"

"I will try," Hermione promised and took a deep breath. Then she started building her old room before her inner eye, the desk, the microscope and finally the little box with the different microscopical samples. She took one from the middle and imagined herself to be part of the probe, hidden below the tiny coverslip that held it in place. Voldemort would never be able to find her here, she told herself and took a last deep breath. Then she willed herself to be part of the sample, _be_ the sample herself and to her astonishment, it worked. Her mind was safe from that bastard, at least for now.

Ssssssss

One week of torture and Lord Voldemort was no closer to finding his queen than he had been right after her disappearance. Those fools from the Ministry were next to useless and even though he had luckily designed a number of portkeys before losing his magic so unexpectedly, leading this damned country was about the only thing he could do.

He had the Aurors search every known, public magical place for her and he had stationed permanent posts on most of them now. But there were no sightings of his queen or those infamous twins and not even the promised bounty on their heads brought any usable results for him. It was beyond disappointing.

Using his strange connection to Potter also wasn't of much use, as the boy did not know where to find his lost friend and could not be persuaded to try writing to her or sending some of his friends from the Order to search for her. At least he now knew that Potter, too, suspected that she was with the Weasley twins and that was at least some sort of indication where these feelings came from, that seeped through the link with alarming regularity.

It looked like those two pests had finally gotten lucky and found a way into his queen's knickers and she, unfortunately, seemed to enjoy herself. This would make persuading her to come back to him even more difficult, but he guessed he could always lock her away and kill them. With time she would hopefully forget her lovers and be open for something… better. He _would_ find her and the only way left for him to do so seemed to be the link connecting them. He had never intended to intrude into his queen's privacy that way, but he guessed she was indirectly forcing him to do so. Luckily for him, the link between them would enable him to use Legillimency on her, even without casting the spell. She would have no chance resisting him for long, he was the world's best Legillimens, after all.

He started slowly by just sending her the question after her location. Immediately he could feel her panic, indicating that she had received it but was not willing to reply. Too bad she did not want to be found. He would still get his answer, if necessary through using force.

The more he entered her mind, the more he finally felt connected to her, even though he could feel her panic growing. But panic was good, panic made things so much easier for him.

_Where are you?_ He asked over and over again and with a final bit of pressure, he suddenly found himself in her mind. Only that it did not look like he had expected it to, at all. He found himself in some kind of bedroom and going by the decor and the number of books he found on the shelf this was her bedroom. Interesting. He had been aware that his queen was able to raise some sort of Occlumency shields and knowing what he knew now he realized that Severus, the traitor, had probably taught her how to do this. It was of no importance though, as he had all the time in the world to find the answers he sought. He just had to go through all of her things and he imagined there were worse things than learning more about one's intended bride.

Ssssssss

Severus stared at the girl in front of him with growing worry. Luckily Hermione had been able to do what he asked her to do and had hidden her consciousness away behind her strongest Occlumency shields. This had made her lose consciousness, as it was to be expected and it would not have been worrisome if this state hadn't already lasted for an hour. But Voldemort seemed determined to find her and her secrets and there was no saying how much longer he would attack Hermione's mind and how much longer she would be able to resist him. Fuck.

Making a quick decision he sent his Patronus for the twins, telling them to send for Hermione's parents as well and then join him in Hermione's bedroom. Something had to be done and soon.

It was only a moment until the door opened behind him and the four of them dashed into the room. He hastily silenced their surroundings, as disturbing Hermione's concentration would not have done any good in that messed up situation. Then he set himself to explain what had happened, their faces growing more and more worried with each of his words.

"We need to do something!" Fred exclaimed and started pacing the room in agitation, while Dan stared grimly at his daughter and nodded.

"It can not be healthy for her to remain unconscious for such a long period. Before long she will need food and water, which will force her to wake up. And by everything, I gathered this is the last thing we want."

Severus sighed. "There are magical ways of tending to her bodily needs that I would implement with your permission. But even then her mind can only withstand such an attack for a certain amount of time and I am not sure how much longer she will be able to do it. Even I as an expert in Occlumency would have withstood such an attack for a day, at the most. And even then there might have been a certain amount of damage to the mind. We can not let it come to this."

"I'll kill that bastard with my bare hands if I have to," George growled, before he kneeled down at Hermione's side. He did not speak and did not touch her, as to not break her concentration, but the look he sent her spook myriads.

"This has to stop," Emma Granger said and wrung her hands in worry. "My girl, my sweet, innocent girl…"

"We will make him stop," Fred promised her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I swear it. Georgie, I think a journey back home is in order. We'll lure that bastard out. I guess being Undesirables nr. 1 does have its merits."

Snape looked at Hermione for a long moment. It pained him to leave her here, but he could not let those Gryffindors rush into danger alone, or they would get themselves killed. "I'll stabilize her and then I will come with you," he said and looked at Hermione's parents. "And with your permission, I would like to collect some of Hermione's hairs for a potion and take her wand with me. Don't worry, I will be careful with it and she will get it back when this is over. But I do have an idea of how to get Voldemort's attention."

Ssssssss

He had been through his queen's mind with arduous concentration, rifling through every room, every book he could find. Sometimes he was rewarded with snippets of memories, mostly from her early childhood or from school, but no matter how thoroughly he searched, there was nothing of substance to be found. It was impossible. Somewhere there had to be something, something he had overlooked so far. But apart from some strange muggle devices in various rooms he unsuccessfully tried to use, there was _nothing_. He tried pushing the buttons on some of them and in the living room a big box flickered alive. Suddenly he could view memories from his queen's second Hogwarts year like through a pensive. It was kind of addicting to watch the tiny bushy-haired witch stumble through the school year, having her figure out that it was a basilisk petrifying all those worthless Mudbloods. But in the end, he must have been watching those memories for hours without getting any closer to figuring out, where his little, clever witch was hiding her secrets. It was maddening and intriguing him at the same time.

"Master!" he suddenly heard someone call him, probably a house-elf by the sound of the voice. He withdrew from his queen's mind with the feeling of annoyance. Whoever it was disturbing him, he'd make them pay if there wasn't a really good reason for them to do so.

He opened his green eyes without making a single sound, seeing that annoying house-elf Hurry bouncing up and down in front of him. Ever since the creature had met his queen, he had changed and not for the better.

"What is it?" Lord Voldemort asked the worthless creature in front of him.

At that huge, excited eyes stared up at him. "They found her master. The mistress and those two redheads have been sighted at the ministry just a few minutes ago. Now Hurry's mistress will finally come home, will she not?"

That immediately got his attention. _Finally!_ It looked like his little invasion of her mind had finally driven her out of her hideout. Did she come to him to beg for forgiveness? Probably. Well, he would accept her back at his side and in his bed, after killing those redheaded playthings of hers.

"You are coming with me," he told the little beetle, sitting in the glass jar right in front of him. "It is your chance to be the witness of my ultimate victory and I need you to write a nice newspaper article after I am finally reunited with my queen."

With a grin, he freed the little insect from its glass and put it on his shoulder. From there Rita Skeeter would have a good view of everything that happened. The perfect conditions for a successful newspaper article on his and his lioness' reunion.

Ssssssss

Severus had never been very fond of Polyjuice and transforming his body into one of a 16-year-old teenage girl did not help to suddenly grow fond of it. Hermione was much smaller than him and the chance of perspective alone was annoying, to say the least.

When he exited his bedroom only a few minutes after the decision of them returning to Britain was made, Fred and George Weasley stared at him with wide, nervous eyes. He had transfigured his clothes into a comfortable T-shirt and jeans that he had often seen wearing his friend and hoped that it would be good enough to fool an obsessive Voldemort.

"This is even scarier than seeing you as Bellatrix Lestrange, Georgie," Fred mumbled and grinned crookedly.

"George Weasley nodded. "This will work," he assured Severus and offered him a small golden key. "Freddie and I made an international port key that will lead us to Diagon Alley. It's not really Ministry-approved, but I guess we no longer care about that, do we?"

Severus grinned humourlessly. "We are about to attack the current Minister of Magic. If this fails, having created an illegal port key will be the least of our problems."

Sssssss

At around 9 a.m. the next day, right after the ministry opened for the day a bushy-haired teenage-witch and a pair of redheaded twins entered the Ministry of magic, or so it seemed. For about three seconds nobody took notice of them, before the elderly witch at the registration counter turned towards them, her mouth half-open in the attempt to ask about their names and their destination. The question died down on her lips though and she let out a pitiful squeak before she fainted right on the spot. Severus looked at her with his eyebrows raised in disbelief, rolling his now caramel brown eyes.

"Looks like people are now even more scared of you," Fred commented dryly and grinned.

"Obviously," Severus replied, pocketing Hermione's wand again. He turned towards the elevators. He just wanted to start walking towards them, when some more people took notice of them and suddenly the room was filled with agitated murmurs, while several fingers pointed towards them.

"Should have taken some of our products along," Fred murmured towards his brother. "This would have been the perfect time and place for a little demonstration, don't you think? Our fireworks could have gotten famous within the day."

George snorted. "Priorities Freddie," he mumbled, just as the entry hall was filled with about ten Aurors, hastily running in their direction. George sighed. "And here they come," he mumbled and raised his wand. From the corner of his eye, he could see Severus and his brother doing the same. He could only hope that their plan would work out. Otherwise, this would get an interesting day, to put it mildly.


	79. Chapter 79

Chapter 79: What I want

"They're here, they are at the ministry!" Mr Weasley shouted and rushed through the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. "I don't know what they're thinking, but we need to go now!"

There were no words of disagreeing, just agitated murmur and the hasty shuffling of chairs. Harry and Ron leapt to their feet, only to be held back by a stern-looking Molly Weasley.

"You are staying here, boys," she said and stormed towards to floo. Sirius, Remus, Bill and Mr Weasley followed her with hasty steps. "Don't worry; we will bring the boys and Hermione back. What did they think walking into the Ministry like they were trying to provoke a fight?"

Harry never heard the answer, as the woman disappeared in the flames the next moment. He followed her with a wistful expression. He could only hope the others would not be too late, because once Voldemort was there, his friends would be in serious trouble.

Sssssss

"Put your wands away, you are outnumbered," an elderly, bald Auror instructed them with a stern voice. Yes, they were, Severus thought with an internal sigh, already starting to regret this Gryffindor-like approach. It would probably have been cleverer to go to Grimmauld place first and come here with some more people. On the other hand, Hermione was suffering and he felt like there wasn't any time to waste for them.

"We are also your only chance to end this farce," he replied evenly, looking at the group of Aurors with a proudly raised chin. He could only imagine how he looked now, that he had taken on Hermione's features. "Today we will do what you obviously could not. We will set things right again. There is still time for you to join us. Or have you already forgotten Minister Fudge and his Undersecretary? Because we have not."

Some of the Aurors looked at them with a hesitant expression, some looked guilty while others seemed more stoical and unimpressed by his words. Severus rolled his eyes. "You could also simply move aside or pretend to have not seen us," he suggested, casually twirling Hermione's wand between his fingers.

"Or we use them as a warm-up," Fred suggested and grinned cheekily. Even though it was just an empty threat, it seemed to have made the necessary impression, as the first Aurors started to move aside, while two of them lowered their wands and moved towards them with a nod.

"Arthur would never forgive us if we attacked one of his boys, let alone two" one of them mumbled and pointed his wand at his colleagues that were still opposing them. "Especially since I don't believe the two of you have done anything to earn this bounty on your head."

Fred snorted. "No, we are more the detention-type of mischief makers," he said with a shrug.

"Well, we did find ourselves a girlfriend," George said, motioning towards what looked like Hermione. "One that is pretty much off-limits, as it appears."

Fred nodded darkly.

Severus kept his focus on the men in front of them and schooled his polyjuiced features into a bored expression. "And you? Have you chosen a side? There is not much time left for you to do so, I'm afraid. He will be here any minute."

At that, four of the Aurors started to move. The hastily pocketed their wands, cast them a last hesitant look, before they turned on the spot and left the Ministry through the floo. Severus followed them with his eyes and shook his head in disappointment. _Cowards!_ But secretly relief flooded him. They would not have to duel a group of ten Aurors. It would have been possible with Hermione's and probably also Voldemort's magic running through his veins, but that would have given the game away too soon.

The remaining Aurors looked at each other nervously, but before any of them could make a decision, the doors to the Atrium flew open and Voldemort, Bellatrix and Yaxley stepped inside. _Could have been worse_, Severus thought calculatingly, as his former master could have had more Death Eaters in tow. Two were fine - he could take down two of them if he had to.

For a moment time seemed frozen in place, as the three groups of people looked at each other silently, without anyone moving a muscle. But finally, his former master looked at him with a wide, pleased smile and said: "I see you decided to come back to me, my queen. I knew you would come to your senses sooner or later."

Severus looked at the man with an inclined head before he smiled. "I have never lost my senses, to begin with. But more importantly, I am not your queen. I told you I have no interest in canoodling with a man that could very well be my grandfather."

He could only hope that he had gotten Hermione's tone just right, but he probably did as Fred who stood next to him could not suppress an amused snort. It was accompanied by several shocked gasps all around them. By now they were by far not the only ones in the Atrium, as several ministry employees had come to work already.

"How dare you speak to the master like that!" Bella spat out, her wand pointed at what looked like Hermione. "You will regret that!"

"Bella," Voldemort said warningly and looked at her with a sharp expression before his eyes travelled back to what he believed was his queen. "I see your tongue is still as sharp as your wit, my Dear," he said and smiled. But you will not provoke me into lashing out at you. Your attempts to push me away will no longer work." He sent Severus a charismatic smile that made him shudder. Merlin, this man could not take no as an answer, could he?

Before Severus could come up with a witty reply, Voldemort turned to the Aurors and said: "Bring her to me. And kill the other two. They have dared to abduct my queen and I will not allow them to touch her again."

The Aurors in front of them shuffled their feet nervously, but none of them lifted their wand. Severus registered it with a smile and a nod before he looked at his former master with a raised brow. "Looks like you will have to do this yourself," he said. "Your Aurors seem to not be interested in killing two innocent teenage boys."

Lord Voldemort growled at those words before he turned to Bella and Yaxley. "Bella, kill them," he said with a demanding tone. "Yaxley, get my queen, but do not hurt her."

_Well, here we _go, Severus thought and a moment later he could see the first curses flow towards the redheads. They were luckily not Unforgivables, as they were in the middle of the Ministry here. And so the curses never reached their intended victims, as they were expertly blocked by the Aurors who had joined them. Yaxley only hesitated a moment longer, before he cast a full body-bind that was aimed towards him. He blocked it silently with a lazy flick of his wand before he cast a silent Expelliarmus towards his former Death Eater colleague. Yaxley clearly did not anticipate this, as his wand flew out of his hand a moment after. _Idiot. _Severus had him stunned a moment after and looked at his former master with a raised eyebrow. "Really?" he said with a disbelieving smile. "You are sending your minions for me now? How disappointing."

Voldemort stared at him for a long moment, his eyes wide in disbelief. "This is impossible," he said.

"What? Me disarming a man you send after me? That's not impossible," he said. "This idiot didn't even try. Will you?"

He could see the man clenching his fists, while his expression turned more and more thunderous. "Stop this in an instant," he commanded. "Or you will come to regret this."

Severus grinned predatorily, before pointing his wand at the man's chest. Slowly he started to enjoy this. "Make me," he said and waited for a moment. "No? Well, then let me try." As Voldemort hadn't even raised his wand, Severus easily disarmed him and could not resist casting a Levicorpus on him, lifting the man into the air by the ankles to that he floated helplessly in front of him. Bellatrix let out a scream of rage, before she lurched towards him, her wand spitting one curse after the other. Severus blocked them all with a smile on his lips, as he could not even feel a drain on his magical energy. The witch didn't stand a chance. He took her out with a simple stunner, that penetrated her shield like it was a soap-bubble, making her collapse on the floor right in front of her master. When he looked at Fred and George to check on them he saw that everyone at the Atrium was staring at him in disbelieving silence.

"What?" he asked, unable to suppress the irritated undertone in his voice. "Does no one want to arrest them? Make yourself useful, you idiots!"

Fred snorted and whispered: "That wasn't very Hermione-like."

Severus shrugged. "I just took out a self-proclaimed Dark Lord and his band of useless followers. I think wizardkind will forgive her for some rude words, don't you think?"

Ssssssss

"Hermione! Fred! George!" they heard their mum shout from behind and when Fred turned around, he could see her storm towards them with an agitated expression on her face. Their dad was there too, as well as some other people from the Order. He could see them staring at the captured enemies on the ground in disbelief. "What did you think running away like this?"

Fred did not have time to answer, as the others caught up with them and stared at the inhibited Voldemort dangling in front of them like a worm on a fishing-rod. "How did you…" Remus said and stared at the three of them in confusion.

George shrugged with a helpless smile. "This is a long story," he said looking towards Snape, who was still under the influence of Polyjuice and looked like he would rather avoid being questioned by a horde of Order members. George felt pretty much the same. "And it is not our story to tell," he explained calmly.

Lupin looked at them with a confused expression on his face. "Then whose story is it?"

George heard Severus sigh. "Don't you want to lock those Death Eaters away first? I am sure you have enough to charge them with." He stepped closer to his former master and looked down at him with a vengeful smile on his lips. "Don't worry about him. He won't be able to get out of whatever prison you let him rot away. He is pretty much a Squib these days."

A shocked gasp went through the room, but Severus had only eyes for his master. Voldemort looked at him with small eyes, before realization dawned in them. But whatever he wanted to say, Severus did not give him the chance to and silenced him non-verbally with a flick his wand. Then he stepped next to him and whispered into his ear: "I see you finally realized that I am not her. Hermione is safe and happy, as she should be. You'll never see her again, I will make sure of that."

George saw Voldemort's eyes go wide and he could not help but grin. He did not know what Snape told him, but he must not have liked what he heard. Good.

He sighed. There was no saying when they would be able to go back to the real Hermione and see if she was alright. He could not wait to pull her into his arms and snog her senseless. But as it looked that wasn't about to happen anytime soon.

Ssssssss

When Hermione stepped through the door of Grimmauld place a week later, ten pairs of eyes looked at her full of excitement and hesitation. Severus', Fred's and George's little stunt at the Ministry had been followed by a glowing newspaper article, written by no other than Rita Skeeter, proclaiming her the saviour of the wizarding world and the vanquisher of the Dark Lord. Even though the man was far from dead, he was rotting away in a Ministry cell somewhere. Myriads of Aurors were questioning him under Veritasserum, eager to find out what really happened to their former Minister of Magic and several others that had gone missing over the weeks and months since the man's resurrection.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed and before she knew what happened, her friend had pulled her in a bear hug. He had grown another few inches so that he was now probably the tallest and most lanky of the Weasley children. "I can't believe you did it and all by yourself. You beat You-Know-Who in a duel!"

Hermione shook her head with a regretful smile. "No I didn't," she said. "You'll have to thank Professor Snape for that." She turned around, knowing that her former Professor was still standing somewhere in the hallway, feeling uncomfortable because all of the attention that would now be directed towards him. But now the man had no choice but stepping into the room, his face was a mask of indifference. _Oh Severus!_ It was long ago since she had seen this trademark expression on his face, which made her realize how different he was with her and also the twins these days.

"Professor Snape!" Harry exclaimed and stepped closer to the man, pausing in front of him and looking at him with a disbelieving expression on his face. "We all thought you were dead!"

"I am sorry to disappoint you, Potter. But I can assure you I am pretty much alive," Severus said with a slight sneer. Hermione watched him with a fond smile on her lips.

"Severus was the one duelling Voldemort and those Death Eaters at the Ministry," she explained calmly. "And from everything I heard, he did a brilliant job pretending to be me." She winked at her friend, stunning the room into silence for a minute.

"Why are you suddenly calling him Severus?" Ron asked and looked at her with wide eyes. "Don't tell me you…" He could not say it and so Hermione saw him helplessly gesturing through the air. She rolled her eyes.

"We _what_, Ronald?" she asked sternly.

The redhead looked at him with wide eyes. "Well, it almost sounds like you are _friends_," he said making it sound like this was totally ridiculous. It was enough to make Hermione lose her temper.

"We are," she said matter of factly. "And I'm glad. I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him. So don't you dare look down at this friendship, Ronald. Professor Snape saved me, saved all of you in fact and he does deserve your respect for that."

"Wo-ho, Hermione. Alright, calm down," Ron said, raising his hands in defeat. "I was just surprised, that's all."

Through the pendants, Hermione could feel Severus' amusement. It was, what helped her not to lash out at Ron again. "You will get used to it," she said instead "as well as to the fact, that I am dating your brothers. But I guess this part isn't that much of a surprise any longer." She looked towards the twins, who grinned at her sheepishly.

Ron snorted ."Not really, no. They wouldn't stop talking about you, until mum finally allowed them to go back to Australia to see you. They said you've been sick or something."

Hermione sighed. She couldn't help but feel nervous at the prospect of telling her whole story, but if someone deserved the truth, it was the people in the room. Next to her parents, Severus and the twins, they were what she called her family. And so she took a deep breath and asked them to sit down at the kitchen table, before telling them everything. She left out the part of Severus cursing her with an Unforgivable and instead only said vaguely, that she had given up her magic by choice in order to bring Voldemort down. Everything else she told them with as much detail as she was comfortable with, reassured by the twin's and Severus' steady presence at her side.

When she was finished, the room was silent, at first. She could feel their eyes on her though, but she could tell that none of them really knew what to say. Well, except Ron.

"Does that mean you're not coming back to Hogwarts?" he asked, looking at her in disbelief.

Hermione nodded. "I don't have my magic any longer, Ron and I don't expect to get it back anytime soon. So no, I am not going back. I'm sorry."

For a moment her friend seemed speechless, but finally, he said: "Merlin Mione. What are you going to do then? Filch was lucky that Dumbledore accepted him as caretaker of the school. But there aren't many jobs for squibs, are there?" He looked at the others questioningly, but when he saw the warning looks on their faces he paused and said: "What? Why are you looking at me like that? It's true! A wizard is nothing without his magic!"

Hermione looked at him for a long moment, before she said as calmly as possible. "Luckily for you, I am not a wizard, Ron and I am surely not _nothing_. I've lived without magic for the better part of my life and I've been just fine. Thank you very much."

Remus interrupted them by clearing his throat. "So let me get this straight. As long as you have your magic blocked, Voldemort has no magical power, because he is linked to you."

Hermione nodded and her former professor continued: "But what happens if you decide you want it back? Because you can get it back, right?"

"I can, but I will abstain from it as long as it takes us to find another way to get rid of him. If there _is_ even a way," she answered with a sigh.

Remus nodded understandingly. "This is very brave, Hermione and I want you to know, that I really appreciate what you did for us. All of you."

With that, he looked at Severus, before he got up and offered the man his hand. "Thank you for doing what none of us could," he told him calmly and smiled. "Can you forgive me for being a spineless idiot?"

For a moment Hermione felt hesitation and doubt through her link with her friend, but it was soon substituted by determination "There is nothing to forgive Lupin. Those things are long in the past. I am no longer who I was back then and I guess you aren't either."

Remus nodded and when Severus took his hand a moment later, he smiled. But before he could reply, Sirius appeared at his side and looked at his childhood nemesis with grey eyes. "No one can live through that much shit and stay the same. Is it true you took out my crazy cousin? Well done."

Severus nodded and looked at him with the hint of a smile. They did not shake hands, but Hermione realized that this was still a new beginning, not only for her but for all of them. She could not wait to see what this new future had in store for them. Hermione felt like she could face anything now and while her eyes watched the people around her talking and reuniting, she started making her own plans. Because she had meant it when she told Severus that she could do just about anything.


	80. Chapter 80

Epilogue

"And that's really what happened, Uncle Sev?" the little curly-haired girl asked him with wide eyes. "Because that would mean that you're a real _hero_!"

Severus looked at the five-year-old whirlwind with a fond smile. Somehow, with time, he had still gotten a family, including enough children to never feel a moment of boredom in his life. Not that the last years had been boring for him. To his surprise, he enjoyed doting on Hermione's little ones as all of them were surprisingly well-behaved and interested in anything he had to say. Spending time with them was much different than teaching at school, probably because none of them was scared of his sometimes broody expression. For some strange reason, those three little children adored him and he used the chance to shamelessly spoil them whenever they came to visit him. He gave them everything he had always missed as a child, attention, affection and a considerable amount of his time that he usually spent with reading to them or teaching them whatever they desired to know.

"This story was full of heroes, Carliene and your mummy is one of them," he said.

The girl chuckled. "I know that," she said, pulling a face. Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry don't let me hear the end of it. It's like the only thing they talk about when they come visiting. It's really _boring_. Do you think I'll also have such exciting adventures when I'm finally allowed to go to Hogwarts?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Heaven forbid. But if you are anything like your daddies, there will be lots of excitement waiting for you. I swear they almost drove some of the teachers into early retirement."

Little Carliene nodded excitedly. "Uncle Sev? What happened to Voldemort? Did they lock him away in Azkaban? Or is he dead?" The little girl wrinkled her forehead. "No, he can't be. Otherwise, mummy would have gotten her magic back, right?"

He nodded with a sigh. Over the years he had gotten used to Hermione's magic and he had no longer qualms about using it for the right things. After Hermione had finished her potion apprenticeship with him, the two of them had come off with a great many spells and potions, because even though Hermione could not cast any spells herself, her knack for arithmancy was of great importance when they developed new things. Their newest project was finding a cure for Cruciatus-induced damage and finally, it appeared like they were only one step away from finishing the necessary potion.

It wasn't long until the bushy-haired Gryffindor had made a name of her own and no one cared if she was a squib or a witch. Hermione had been right: she could do anything - and she had. Writing a book had only been the first step on her way and it had made her a rich woman because of course everybody wanted to read the true story about Voldemort's rise, his youth and also his downfall. While the twins eagerly opened their eye-cancer inducing joke shop in the middle of Diagon Alley, Hermione had really outdone herself with that book. She had managed to put everything on paper the world wanted and needed to know, without saying too much or endangering his secrets. Severus Snape was a war hero these days and no one said any different. It was a small miracle.

Severus looked at the girl, sitting in front of him on the floor and smiled. "No one is calling him Lord Voldemort these days," he said with a grin. "That would imply this man still held any form of power, which he does not. "No, he is not in prison. They did consider Azkaban for him, but as he and your mum are magically linked, that was not an option. No one wanted the saviour of the wizarding world to suffer the effects of dementors through the bond. After a while, the MInistry decided that a life without magic, money, servants or followers was enough of a punishment for the man and even though there was a hefty protest from some parties, time has shown that they were right."

Carliene looked at him with wide eyes. "So he's still alive? Where is he?"

Severus smiled. "Going by Rita Skeeter's last newspaper article he is living in his mother's house these days. Some years ago this place wasn't more than a shed and it's not much better now. As far as I know, Bellatrix Lestrange lives with him, as she refused to leave her master's side, even though he lost everything that earned him this title once. Draco and his father were very thorough to strip him of anything valuable and important."

"You mean the new Minister?" the little girl asked with a concentrated expression. That little curly redhead had her mother's intellect, making connections and assumptions right and left. He had no doubts that she would follow in her mother's footsteps, without being overly compliant, like Hermione had been. Growing up as a daughter of the infamous Weasley twins the girl had established a good sense of humour and a tolerance to mischief.

"Exactly. Back then Draco hadn't been Minister though, but he and his father had a special interest in bringing Tom Riddle down. One could almost call them vindictive."

And Draco wasn't the only vindictive one. Rita Skeeter had developed an obsession with her former capturer. It had not taken her long to air every one of the man's dark little secrets, dissembling his name and reputation bit by bit. Severus still did not like the disagreeable woman and refused to exchange a word with her, but he could not deny that she had been useful in his former master's downfall. No one feared him any longer, which was probably the greatest punishment for him, apart from losing his magic.

"Is it true that the Minister and my mum have been enemies at school? Uncle Ron once said something like that, but I don't believe him. Mummy is working for the Minister, after all," the little girl said and wrinkled her nose.

_Uncle Ron should start to learn to mind his own business_, Severus thought. _He should concentrate on his Quidditch career or on shagging his ever-changing girlfriends. This way he at least doesn't annoy the people around him._ But to his little goddaughter he said: "Draco and your mum haven't always been the best of friends, I believe. But once they got to know each other, they came to appreciate having an intelligent conversation partner."

Carliene chuckled. He was sure she could relate to that problem, as she preferred spending time with him instead of playing with her hordes of cousins. He did not mind, as he found her presence equally enjoyable as Hermione's, who came to visit him every other day and still wore her pendant most of the time. This way she was never far and usually they exchanged thoughts about their different project back and forth every single day. Hermione was always only a thought away for him.

She was a busy woman these days, her current position as the minister's undersecretary not helping in the least. It had been a brilliant move from Draco's side. Not only that Hermione was probably the most effective person he could have found for the job, she also was also a war hero and built a bridge to some parts of the wizarding world that so far had felt excluded by the government. Hermione wasn't only a muggle-born witch and a Squib, she also had a passion for magical beings and fought passionately for their rights. Draco interestingly supported her and Severus could see that he did not only do it out of calculation. Over the years he had seen the boy change and grow into a thoughtful and well-behaved man. And even though his godson was still a Slytherin at heart, he had not become a second Albus Dumbledore. Severus had made sure of that.

For a while, the little girl did not say anything more and buried her nose in the book he had given her to read from his library. But after a while, she looked up at him with a contemplative expression. "Do you think Voldemort still tries to find and capture my mum? He is still linked with her and could undo all his problems by getting her, right? What if he tries to come to power again? I don't like that he's still out there, somewhere."

"There is no reason to be afraid of him any longer," he said soothingly. "He is barely even sane any longer and the woman living with him now, is barely more than a house-elf for him."

It was true. Without Bellatrix, the man would probably have starved to death - well, or as close as he could ever come to death. A few years ago Tom Riddle had pleaded with the ministry to execute him through the veil, as he said he could no longer stand this pitiful existence. It was shortly after a gigantic snake had been found dead close to his home, implying that the former Dark Lord had really started to get rid of his Horcruxes in the attempt to end his life. Unfortunately for him, there was one Horcrux left he did not know about. Therefore the attempt to kill him by sending him through the veil ended with the man simply stepping through, much to the astonishment of the audience. Just then Lord Voldemort realized that he was damned to a life without magic and from there on his sanity had started to disintegrate into madness. If Rita Skeeter was to be believed, he only talked to snakes these days, completely ignoring the dark-haired Black-sister that had sworn to serve him, until she took her last breath. It was the best punishment he could imagine for Bellatrix, craving her master's attention day by day but never getting even a word of thanks from him.

"Those two are not a danger any longer, you can be sure of that. They don't even leave that shithole of a house any longer," he said, before remembering to not use such foul language with a five-your old. Carliene giggled. "Don't tell your mum I said that," he hastily added.

"I might be persuaded not to," the cheeky little thing replied, looking at him with a wide Weasley-grin. "How about we go to your lab and you show me how to brew a tickling potion? Or could we make some itching powder?"

He looked at her with a raised brow. "What do you need that for? Did Adam tease you about your unwillingness to play Quidditch with him, again?"

"He might," the redhead admitted with a carefully neutral expression, that reminded him of himself. Merlin, when had she started to pick _that_ up?

Severus looked at her with a sigh. "Alright, I'll show you how to do it," he finally said with a fond smile on his lips. There was no doubt that his little god-daughter was going to be a Slytherin, one day. And she had already wrapped him around her little finger.

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A.N.: Alright guys. This is the end of this story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Several words regarding that ending: it was a deliberate decision to not give Hermione her magic back. I wanted her "mistake" to have consequences. It often appears to me, that in many stories every mistake can somehow be undone. But that's not real life. We all know, that we often wish to take something back or turn back time, but can not. So I decided to let that show in my story, too.

At some point, I might add a few outtakes to the story. I am not sure if I do this, but I have some scenes in mind that I deliberately chose to not write, as they did not really contribute to the story. Would you enjoy reading that?

Thank you to everyone taking the time to read and comment. Your support means the world to me!


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